Z Oh, the Fates Complete
by Fanatical Writer
Summary: When the BAU had an imposed seven day break, Derek Morgan decided to take advantage of the opportunity and engaged in a six day tryst. He never imagined that the blonde goddess he'd shared his bed with would be the new Technical Analyst at work.
1. Prologue

**Summary: It was a scandal that rocked the BAU. When their Communications Director and Tech Analyst were discovered to be heading a drug ring targeting teenagers, nothing could have prepared their fellow agents for the betrayal. After an imposed two week sabbatical, the BAU was back in business, a new Communications Director and Tech Analyst to boot. But when tempers flare and personalities collide...all hell breaks loose. **

"I'm telling you Prentiss, it was so fucking hot. And to know that all she wanted was what I wanted? Damn—that made it even better." Derek Morgan shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee as he and Prentiss made their way to the Behavioral Analysis Unit of F.B.I. headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. He was almost sorry they'd agreed that things would end after only six days. _Almost_.

Prentiss grinned. "That good, huh?" She used the palm of her hand to hit herself on the forehead exaggeratedly. "What am I _talking_ about? Of _course_ it was that good. I've never _seen_ a bigger smile."

Derek shook his head and moaned, earning an odd look from Prentiss. "You OK?" she asked.

"I don't know," he told her with a shudder. "Just the thought of it—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" she warned him.

He grinned. "Are you sure it's my _sentence_ that you don't want me to finish?" he taunted.

Her eyes flew to his crotch. "OK that is just…gross on…so many levels!"

"Prentiss?" Derek said.

"Yeah?"

He cleared his throat. "My _eyes _are up _here_," he said, using his index and middle fingers to point at them.

She lifted her head and laughed. But she wasn't embarrassed. Emily Prentiss' relationship with Derek had nothing to do with sex, and it had nothing to do with romance. They'd been best friends for a long time and humiliating herself in front of him would be damn near impossible.

"Well, with those sounds…" she muttered as they resumed walking.

Derek threw his head back with a chuckle. It was good to be back to work. Now things could get back to normal.

___

"Where in the _hell_ have you been?" JJ asked as she stood there waiting for Penelope to get out of her SUV.

Penelope grinned. "What do you mean? We still have twenty minutes before we even need to punch in," she said, deliberately misunderstanding her friend.

JJ gave her a knowing look. "That's not what I'm talking about, and you are very well away of that."

Penelope grinned and pulled a piece of rolling luggage out of her backseat, then closed the door. She and JJ began walking towards the building that housed their new place of employment together. First days at work were always exciting—Penelope loved them.

"I met _the_ most amazing guy," she said wistfully.

"You're_ dating_ already?" JJ said, shaking her head. "Unbelievable." They'd only relocated for work a mere two weeks ago. But the F.B.I. had given them some time to settle in before they'd expected them to start their new jobs at Quantico.

"Oh, no, not dating, Jay-jers."

JJ gave Penelope a look urging her to explain.

"I just had a six day tryst," she said. "I'm telling ya, JJ. I've had it nice and soft, and maybe a _little_ rough, but there's nothing like a man just…puttin' the screws to ya!" She shuddered. "Ya know what I mean?"

JJ's eyes widened. "This is _so_ not a conversation for me," she said uneasily.

Penelope linked an arm through her friends as they got closer to the building. "I know," she agreed. "But until I make a _new_ friend who I can talk dirty with, you're gonna have to do."

JJ looked at Penelope quizzically. "I thought you already did," she said dryly.

Penelope shook her head. "Nope. That was just sex. Naughty…dirty…_sex_!" she exclaimed.

"I _feel_ dirty just talking to you," JJ said.

Penelope grinned. "Anyway, we met at a bar. And I went home with him. I told him I wasn't in the market for a relationship, but could use a good lay, and he agreed. I told him I only had six days, and he said—with the sexiest grin I have _ever_ seen—that he could make them blissful. And so. He. Did."

JJ was still reeling from her friends' discussion after they'd made their way through security.

"So, what's his name?" JJ asked as they got on the elevator. "And what does he _do_?"

"His name is Derek, and he works in law enforcement," Penelope informed her friend.

"_Where _in law enforcement?" JJ pressed.

Penelope shrugged. "I don't know. Didn't ask."

"Aren't you afraid he might work for the F.B.I.?"

"No," Penelope said, shaking her head. "No way. A man works for the F.B.I., and he uses it to impress a woman. He doesn't work for the F.B.I. He wouldn't have been able to withhold that information."

JJ nodded. "You're probably right." There was a short pause, and JJ decided to change the subject. "So, what's in the suitcase?"

Penelope grinned. "My trinkets," she said cheerfully.

JJ laughed. "Interior decorating on the go?" she teased.

Penelope laughed. "Pretty much," she said as the elevator doors opened slowly. She almost gasped when her eyes fell on the gorgeous chocolate skinned man standing there holding a cup of coffee, a stunning dark haired woman at his side. It was the object of her six day rendezvous, Derek Morgan.

Apparently _SSA _Derek Morgan to be exact. And sweet Lord, she'd only left his bed that morning.

Damn it all to hell. He_ did_ work for the F.B.I.

Penelope sighed. OK, so a profiler, she _wasn't._


	2. Chapter 1

Derek Morgan was rocking his hips back and forth in demonstration when the elevator doors slid open—and he froze mid-motion. He was face to face with the vixen who had left his bed just this morning—the one he'd come to think of as his blonde goddess. In fact, if he took his shirt off, there'd be a mountain of evidence that they'd spent the last six days together. And though she'd obviously showered, he was willing to wager that she still had trace amounts of his skin underneath her fingernails.

He was floored. Was she _stalking_ him? But then his eyes fell on her…luggage? Either she was moving into F.B.I. head quarters or she was new and eccentric. Well, he knew the eccentric part was dead-on. And then, out of all the things she could do, she did…nothing. Sure he'd seen the look of shock at first, but she'd recovered quite nicely. He didn't even think Prentiss had noticed it. She simply lifted an eyebrow at him. "Going up?" she asked innocently.

___

He'd_ told_ her he was in law enforcement, so he hadn't lied. And _she'd _told _him_ she worked with computers, so she hadn't lied. But it seemed that neither of them had told the complete truth.

But there were a lot of units here at Quantico. It wasn't even likely that he was part of the BAU. But Penelope's confidence on that fact faltered when he stepped onto the elevator and reached out with his free hand to hit the button. He stopped mid-reach. Apparently the button that would bring him to his floor was already lit. _Fuck,_ Penelope thought frantically.

First days at a new job sucked. She hated them.

___

"Excuse me," JJ said when the elevator doors opened and the four of them stepped off. "We're looking for SSA Aaron Hotchner. Could you please point us in the right direction?"

The chocolate skinned man looked her up and down. "And you are?"

"My name is Jennifer Jareau. I'm the new Communications Director for the Behavioral Analysis Unit. This is Penelope Garcia, the new Technical Analyst. We're from the Boston office." She held her hand out for a shake, but the two standing there just looked down at it.

"Hotch's office is through there," the dark haired woman said, pointing through a set of glass doors. "If you go up the ramp, it's the second door on the right." With that, she spun around and walked through the glass doors herself, the man she was with following her.

"Well _that_ was some reception," JJ said dryly.

"They said we probably wouldn't be received well," her friend reminded her. But Penelope's own mind was reeling—not for the same reason, of course. She'd shaken a hell of a lot more than Derek Morgan's hand. She winced. "I have to tell you something."

"Well, it's gonna have to wait," JJ said, heading for the glass doors. "God, it's not like I have cooties," she muttered, her pace picking up.

"No. Wait! JJ!" Penelope said. But JJ was moving too fast and she couldn't keep up with her. The stupid wheels of her luggage were uneven and she had to keep a slower pace so it would stay upright. And besides that—there was no _way_ Penelope was dropping _this_ gossip bomb while they were in the BAU. She looked around at all of the unfriendly faces and she could feel her own face taking on a frown at the whispers.

"_I heard that they didn't even post for the positions, just handpicked who they wanted out of the entire Bureau and threw 'em in here."_

"_I heard they're brand spankin' new from training," another voice said._

"_Let's hope __**these**__ ones work out," came another._

Penelope didn't normally mind being the center of attention, but in this case, she found she hated being the topic of conversation.

A dark haired man came out of an office and started down the ramp. "Jennifer Jareau and Penelope Garcia?" he asked.

Finally. A friendly face.

"You can call me JJ," she said, holding her hand out. It actually got shaken this time. She nearly sighed in relief.

He gave a hurried smile. It was clear this man was all business. "Aaron Hotchner," he said.

Penelope smiled. "It's nice to meet you," she said, holding her own hand out.

___

After a mound of endless transfer paperwork, Aaron Hotchner showed Penelope to her office and gave her the go ahead to rearrange it any way she wanted it. She'd like to be marveling at all of the state of the art equipment that was going to literally be at her fingertips every day, but instead, heartburn was kicking in. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a bottle of Tums, then tossed three of them into her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she tried to rearrange her office, but every time she looked out onto the floor—or the bullpen as it had been called in Boston—was it the same here?—all eyes were on her. All except for Derek Morgan's. How in the _hell_ had this happened? She started cursing herself. "You didn't _have_ to say yes when he invited you to go home with him," she reminded herself. Then she sighed. "But you _did_ want to get laid. And he _was_ fantastic."

There was a sound of a clearing throat behind her and she spun around, cheeks flaming. "Hello," she croaked. Sweet Lord, had he heard her?

The shaggy looking man grinned at her. He was dressed sloppily, as if clothes were an afterthought. Only half of his shirt was tucked in, and his khaki's were about an inch too short. "I'm Kevin Lynch," he told her. "I was sort of filling in until they found a replacement."

She nodded. "Penelope Garcia," she said. "A pleasure to meet you, Kevin Lynch."

He grinned back at her. "If you need help with passwords—"

"I'm already in," she interrupted him.

"But how…"

She shrugged carelessly. "Hacked," she admitted.

His eyes widened. "OK, then," he said, backing out of her office. "If you need anything…"

She gave him a grin followed by a wink. "Right back at ya."

Blushing furiously, the disheveled man backed out of her office.

___

"That's _her_?" Prentiss said in disbelief, turning to study the new Tech Analyst.

"Don't stare at her!" Derek hissed. The last thing he needed was for her to think he was out here like a fifteen year old boy bragging about a conquest—even if he was.

Prentiss turned back around. "I wouldn't have picked her for you," she said in surprise.

"Why not?" he asked. He didn't bother to ask himself why that would anger him.

Prentiss shrugged as she took a sip of her coffee. "Well, with her job, she's obviously bright. And she's too eccentric for you. Or so I would think," she amended.

"She _is_ eccentric" Derek agreed.

Prentiss sat down on his desk. "Tell me how it all happened."

"Prentiss—"

"Hey, it's one of the drawbacks to having a female best friend. We like _details_. Spill."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Great." There was a short pause, her eyes fixed on his face. He groaned. "Fine."

_Derek took a swig of his beer as he studied the blonde moving on the dance floor. Her body was swaying in a way that made him want be moving with her—but not in front of a crowd. Knees bent, she had her hands resting on them, shaking her hips back and forth, glancing behind her at her partner. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. He said something in her ear, and she leaned back laughing, her head resting on his shoulder as she continued to move._

_Reid was sitting next to him talking, but Derek wasn't sure what he was saying. He was still concentrating on her. It was her blonde hair that had caught his attention first—he was a sucker for blondes. But he was a breast man as well, and she certainly was blessed in that area. His mouth watered at the thought, falling to her cleavage. She looked over as if she felt him staring at her, but he didn't look away. Raising an eyebrow at her instead, he lifted his beer bottle and tilted it in her direction. She winked at him, and then returned to her dancing._

_He turned to Reid. "Time to go, Kid," he said._

"_Do you mind if I stop to grab something to eat?" Reid asked. "I'm feeling a little queasy."_

"_Do whatever you want. I'll see you tomorrow."_

"_Wait!" Reid said as Derek stood. "How are you gonna get home?"_

"_Taxi."_

"_Are you sure?" Reid asked skeptically._

_Derek nodded. "I'm sure."_

"_But it's on my way," Reid said._

"_Kid, I'm looking to get lucky tonight, and no offense, but you're cramping my style."_

_Reid nodded. "Have a good night," he said, standing up and practically sprinting for the exit._

_Derek's eyes searched the room, and when he found what he was looking for, he made his way to the bar, his body brushing up against hers. She turned around and when she saw that it was him, she grinned._

_He smiled back at her. "Derek Morgan," he said._

_She tilted her head to the side. "Penelope," she returned._

"Just_ Penelope?" he asked._

_She nodded. "Just Penelope," she confirmed, putting her elbows on the counter behind her as she leaned back against it. It gave him a generous view of her cleavage. He had to force himself to meet her eyes. She took a long sip off her beer bottle._

"_Dance?" he asked._

"Just _a dance?" she teased._

_He shrugged. "For now," he said, taking her hand and leading the way to the dance floor._

_He turned around, and despite the fast tempo of the song, he took her in his arms, pulling her close so her chest was flush against his. He could feel her nipples harden through their layers of clothing. At this rate, they wouldn't be the only thing hardening._

"_I've never seen you here before," he said, moving his feet in a slow rhythm._

_She grinned, swaying along with him. "My first time," she told him._

"_That explains it," he said._

_He lifted his arms so they were around her shoulders instead of her waist and pulled her even closer, his breath tickling her ear. She shivered from the sensation. "Come home with me," he whispered._

_She pulled away enough to look at his face. His arms dropped to her waist and he tightened his hold so she couldn't move any further away from him._

"_I don't even _know_ you," she reminded him._

"_I'm giving you an opportunity…" he started, his lips finding her neck. "To do just that." He kissed his way from the side of her neck where he could feel her pulse racing to her throat, then lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers. _

"_What do you say?" he coaxed._

"_Will I see you after tonight?"_

_Most women would want him to say yes, but he had a feeling that she wasn't like most women. "Not if you don't want to," he told her, taking a gamble._

"Hmmm," Prentiss said thoughtfully. "And that's _really_ how it started?" she asked.

He nodded.

She studied his face for a minute.

He knew he was going to be sorry, but he asked anyway. "What?!"

She shrugged. "It just doesn't…seem very…_smooth_. Not very Derek Morgan."

His eyes narrowed. "Well, you should have seen my moves on the dance floor," he defended himself.

"I remember you were rocking your hips outside of the elevator this morning and I have to say, it wasn't very exciting," she teased.

"Ha ha," he said, giving her a dirty look.

Prentiss laughed as she stood up and walked away.

___

_She looked into his eyes and nodded, her mind made up. "Meet me outside by the front doors," she said, pulling away from him. She made her way back to the table, where her friend was._

"_Hey, Sarah," she said, grabbing her purse. She pulled her key ring out and lifted one up. "Apartment key," she said, then tossed them at her friend. "See you in the morning."_

"_Penelope—" Sarah said. She stood up and followed her friend a few feet away from the table. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, grabbing her friends elbow._

_Penelope grinned. "To get lucky," she said._

"_Penelope," Sarah said warningly. "You work for the FBI. You know the risks of going home with a complete stranger!"_

_Penelope turned and pointed to one corner of the room. "Camera," she said, turning to another corner and pointing once again. "Camera," she repeated. "I will _see_ you…in the morning," she said, turning to go._

And that was what had gotten her into _this_ predicament in the first place. She blew her bangs out of her face as she attached the last cord. Everything was finally the way she wanted it. Her fingers were itching to touch the new keyboard, so Penelope sat down at her desk, cracked her knuckles in anticipation, and had her fingers poised over the keyboard.

"Hey," she heard from behind her.

She nearly came up out of her chair. "Jeepers, JJ!" she said, spinning around. "Make a noise or something!"

JJ laughed. "Sorry. Hey, you got your stuff all set up," she said, grinning at the sight of her friends feathered-pens.

Penelope nodded. "I've been lonely," she said with a fake pout. "Where have you been?"

"Hotch has been filling me in on what exactly it is I'll be doing here," she said.

Penelope lifted an eyebrow. "Hotch?"

JJ rolled her eyes. "That's what all of the agents call him."

Penelope nodded. "So, what do you think?"

JJ nodded. "I think I'm gonna like the job," she said. "But he warned me. The other agents aren't happy that we're here."

Penelope groaned. "Why the hell not?"

JJ sat down in an empty chair. "Apparently they feel as though their toes have been stepped on. They wanted to take part in the selection process, but they weren't allowed to."

Penelope snorted. "_What_ selection process?" she asked. "Morrison brought us into his office one morning and told us we were being transferred. And that was that."

JJ nodded. "I know. But I don't think they know that. And…it's hard dealing with scandal," she reminded her friend.

Penelope studied her friends face. "How in the hell can you be so calm about everyone being…irritated by our very presence?"

"_I'm_ the new Communications Director," JJ said. "This is a way for _me_ to prove myself."

Penelope groaned. "How am _I_ gonna prove _my_self?" she asked miserably.

JJ grinned at her friend. "Well, you man the computer, so the way I see it…you have two options. You can keep stroking that keyboard of yours…" She lifted her eyebrows. "Or you can try stroking Derek Morgan again."

"How did you know?" Penelope asked. Her hand flew to her throat as her eyes widened.

"Hotch briefed me on each member of the team," she said. "And then I put two and two together—who would have six days off to spend in bed? Unless you were on vacation." JJ grinned. "I think it's really going to be interesting here," she taunted.

Penelope looked around her desk area and settled for a paper clip. She picked it up and threw it at her friend. "I hate you," she said.

JJ grinned. "You _love_ me."

"OK. But only because you're my godson's mother."


	3. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: FYI--This Derek is going to be a little more brusque than charming, I think. And this story is going to be a little more HBO-y than CBS-y. Just a little warning for you--I think it might be different from my other stories; we'll see! Enjoy!_

JJ stood up. "Let's go, girl," she said, holding her hand out.

"For what?" Penelope groaned, taking her friends hand and springing to her feet.

"We need to go meet the team," JJ informed her.

Penelope rolled her eyes. "The people who thought we had cooties this morning?" she said with a pout.

JJ laughed. "OK, I never saw you pout _once_ in Boston. Day one at Quantico—and you've already done it twice."

"I'm feeling unloved," Penelope said.

"_I_ love you," JJ said.

"Goody-goody gumdrops," Penelope muttered.

___

So there they were; Penelope and JJ standing face to face with the two they'd met that morning plus one.

The sandy brown haired young man stuck his hand out and it was accompanied with a genuine smile. "Spencer Reid," he told them.

Derek stepped forward and put an arm in front Reid, preventing anyone from shaking hands."_Dr. _Spencer Reid," he corrected. The young mans arm fell helplessly to his side. If there had been any doubts in their minds about being unwelcome before, they were gone now. It was certain that no one wanted them here. Penelope tried not to take it personally. She knew it was more about recent circumstances than her or JJ, but it was hard to look the other way.

Derek Morgan hadn't had any manners in the bedroom, either. But _that_ had turned her on. This just pissed her off. She was too comfortable with him because they sort of had a history—short as it was—and she was afraid she was going to snap at him.

She took deep breaths to compose herself, then focused her attention on _Dr. _Spencer Reid. "I'm Penelope Garcia, and this is SSA Jennifer Jareau. We call her JJ."

The five of them stood there, three against two—or so it felt—studying each other. "BAU agents, conference room," Aaron Hotchner said as he came out of his office. There was a collective sigh of relief.

The first three immediately complied and JJ fell into step behind them. Penelope began the trek to her office. "You, too, Garcia," he said.

Penelope nodded and she turned around, falling into step beside JJ. "JJ, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

JJ elbowed her in the ribs, but it brought a grin to her face. Leave it to Penelope to get her to laugh in the midst of a difficult situation.

___

Hotch was standing just outside of the door to the conference room waiting for JJ. "I have a case that I'm presenting to the team. This is what you'll be doing when you're more comfortable. Pay attention to the details I include, and the specific terminology. You have to remember, you're up there making a presentation, and while it's their job to pay attention and dig in, it's your job to present the relevant facts."

JJ nodded, and then took a seat between Penelope and Spencer Reid.

___

She knew her face was green. It had to be. Studying pictures of crime scenes was_ not_ a specialty of Penelope Garcia's. She couldn't look at them—it _hurt_ her to look at them. She could feel her heartburn kicking in again and wished she had her Tums tucked away in her pocket.

"Excuse me, Hotch?" she said weakly. She was feeling nauseous now. These girls hadn't just been stabbed, they'd been tortured.

"I present the case first, Garcia," he explained, his tone patient. "We'll discuss things and ask questions as a team when I'm finished."

She tried again. "But I—"

He didn't hear her, instead continuing to educate his agents on the case.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing—she had a feeling she'd be doing that a lot over the next few days—forcing tranquility upon herself. It didn't work. She jumped up out of her chair and grabbed the trash can on her way out of the conference room door. They could hear her throwing up on the other side.

JJ smiled weakly. "Garcia…doesn't…do well with gruesome visualizations," she clarified.

Derek Morgan lifted an eyebrow at his superior. "Nice, Hotch. That's _real_ nice," he said dryly.

Hotch remained calm, but it was clear he was irritated by the show of insubordination. He turned to JJ. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize it would disturb her."

JJ shrugged. "You couldn't have known."

___

"Are you OK?" JJ asked a little while later as she walked into Penelope's office.

Penelope groaned. "That depends. How much of an ass did I make out of myself?" she asked.

JJ laughed. "You didn't," she assured her friend.

Penelope sighed. "I _really, really, really _miss Boston."

"Hotch didn't know about your…aversion to crime scenes," JJ explained. "I don't think he'll be asking you to sit in on any briefings anytime soon."

"The silver lining," Penelope said with a forced grin.

JJ stood up. "I was just checking in on you." She patted her friend on the arm. "Wheels up in thirty."

"You guys are leaving?" Penelope's eyes lit up.

"Yeah."

"Thank _God!_ I need the respite."

JJ headed to her office and had just picked up her phone to call her husband when Hotch walked in. He looked at her ready bag sitting on the desk. "JJ, why don't you sit this one out?" he said carefully.

"Because I'm as much a part of this team as anyone else is," she argued, putting the phone back in its cradle.

"I think if you can hang back on this case and see how we do things, it would be better for everybody," he told her.

JJ knew he meant that it would be better for those he considered senior memebers of his team, but she had a feeling it would be futile to point that out. "Fine," she said in resignation.

"My team is in disrepair right now. I need time to work on them."

JJ's eyes narrowed. "With all due respect, Agent Hotchner, you excluding me from this case gives them permission to exclude me period."

"They just need a little time to adjust," he insisted.

"Fine," JJ said again.

___

The rest of the team had taken off and JJ and Penelope were in the kitchen eating their lunch.

"I can't believe you slept with that…jerk," JJ said as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"_You_ can't," Penelope muttered. "He acted like he didn't even know me."

"Well, in his defense, you acted like you didn't even know him, too."

"Yes, well he had this buxom brunette standing next to him," she reminded her friend.

JJ grinned. "And you had a buxom _blonde_ next to _you_."

Penelope rolled her eyes. "I swear to God, JJ. I'm liking you less with each passing hour."

___

The women were in Penelope's office looking over policy manuals and past cases when Penelope heard her headset beep. She hit the button. "Penelope Garcia," she answered.

"Garcia, it's Hotch," her new boss said. "I'm standing here with some of Tallahassee's finest and you're on speaker."

"I charge extra for groups," she quipped before she could stop herself.

JJ smacked her on the arm. "We're not in Boston anymore!" she hissed. "You can't just…say that stuff!"

All the way in Florida, Morgan could feel a ticking start in his jaw. He was supposed to be catching an UnSub. Instead—he was getting hard. Fuck.

Hotch cleared his throat and it was enough to convey the fact that he was unimpressed with his new tech's sense of humor.

Penelope winced inwardly.

"Garcia, I need an address."

"I'm ready," she said, fingers hovering over her keyboard. Now she _really_ had to prove herself.

He rattled off a name.

"Hotch, if _Lynch_ couldn't get it for us…" The voice in the background trailed off, but it was unmistakably Derek's.

JJ looked at Garcia, eyebrows raised. "Sounds like a challenge," she whispered.

Penelope gave JJ a sideways glance even as her fingers flew over the keyboard. "3432 Tall Tree Terrace," she said triumphantly.

"Thanks, Garcia," Hotch said. Penelope heard his phone click shut.

She turned to JJ. "BAM!" she said with a wide grin.

JJ leaned forward and gave her a high five. Ten points for the Bostonians. Not that anyone was keeping score.

"I need to find out more about this 'Lynch' character," Penelope said, removing her head set and tossing it on the counter.

"Why?" JJ asked curiously.

"Well, for one thing, he's competition. He came in and introduced himself to me and apparently he was the 'interim guy.' And number two, obviously Derek respects him. I need to do some serious flirting with the guy."

"To…make the guy you _don't _want jealous?" JJ asked.

"Exactly," Penelope said.

JJ didn't bother to tell Penelope that jealous Derek would probably be a crazed Derek. She'd let her friend find that out for herself. She'd seen the way he'd looked Penelope up and down when they'd been standing across from each other. There had been an unmistakable anger in his eyes, yes. But it was nothing compared to the desire that had flooded them. Clearly he wasn't ready to cast her friend to the side just yet. And JJ had a feeling the guy was territorial; six day tryst or not—he wasn't going to want Penelope _near_ another man.

JJ sighed. She'd studied one too many profiling books today.

___

It was the next evening, and the agents were on the plane headed back to Quantico. Things had wrapped up pretty quickly—a refreshing change thanks in part to Penelope and her superior computer skills.

Derek shook his head. "She _threw up_," he said in disgust. "For God's sake, did they even vet these people before they brought them on board?" OK, so maybe he felt a _little_ sorry for her, but he had to save face. He didn't want to look weak in front of his teammates. And he was still steaming about the fact that no one had asked the BAU's input before bringing on two new people.

Prentiss cleared her throat. "I seem to remember you saying she was so hot you just about melted," she taunted.

"That was in the bedroom, not the conference room. And I think my memory may be a little skewed," Morgan said.

"From what?" Prentiss asked doubtfully.

"Alcohol," Morgan lied. He'd been sober the entire time he'd been with her. Those two beers he'd had the first night hadn't impaired his judgment one bit.

"A six day drunken spree?" Now she was just amused. She'd never seen Morgan like this before.

Derek ran a hand over his face. "This isn't going to be pretty, is it?" he asked.

"Do you still want her?" Prentiss returned. But she already knew the answer.

Derek scoffed. "God, no," he lied. He'd already gotten hard once today just from the sound of her voice.

Prentiss shrugged. "Then it should be fine. _She_ obviously isn't looking for anything more than what you had, so there's no problem there. Just keep playing it cool," she told him.

He nodded.

She fought back a grin. She was pretty sure that sooner or later, there were going to be fireworks. She was just going to sit back and enjoy the show.

___

The BAU was empty when they arrived, and after finishing up some paperwork, Derek headed for home. He was halfway there when he swung his vehicle around and headed for Penelope's. He'd been there once in the six days they'd been together. He wouldn't admit it out loud—especially to Prentiss, but he was desperate to get her into bed again.

When he got there, he rang the doorbell and waited. When the door opened, she was wearing a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a v-neck t-shirt. Her hair was thrown carelessly up in a ponytail and she was holding a bottle of Windex and paper towels. She looked adorable. _Adorable_? _There_ was a word that never crossed Derek Morgan's mind.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw it was him. "I thought you didn't like me," she said.

"That was business," Derek informed her. "This is pleasure."

"I don't date men I work with," she said. She tried to shut the door in his face, but he was too quick. His hand stopped it.

"Well it was so damn hot, I might be willing to quit," he shot back with a lazy grin.

Penelope studied his face, a dry look on her own. "And I _don't_ date men who can't hold down a job," she said. Throwing all of her weight against the door, she successfully slammed it in his face.

Derek stood there in shock before feeling a grin break out. She was playing hard to get. And he was lovin' every minute of it. He couldn't wait to be inside of her again.


	4. Chapter 3

Quitting time on Friday hadn't come a moment too soon. Penelope had never been so exhausted in all her life. And it hadn't been a rough workweek, but a girl could break her neck walking around on eggshells. And she'd been doing _that_ for the last five days.

At least JJ had been by her side. The team had been called away on another case, but Hotch had been adamant that JJ sit this one out, too. Her friend hadn't been too pleased, but Penelope figured that a _united_ front was better than a separated one—_she'd_ been tickled pink. She had a feeling next week would be rough as Hotch had said that that was when JJ would begin travelling with the team.

She shut her computer down and turned around, then nearly jumped.

"How was your first week?" Derek asked from the doorway.

Penelope laughed bitterly. "Are you kidding me?" she shot back.

He lifted an eyebrow at her, and then crossed his arms, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe. "The last five days don't quite compare to the six before _that_, do they?" he said smugly.

"Oh, please," Penelope said. "Those were the _longest_ six days of my life," she said indifferently.

He looked her up and down. "It was the longest _something;_ I'll give you that, baby girl."

Her eyes flew to his zipper. "_Don't…_flatter yourself," she said heatedly, her gaze returning to his.

"Oh, no, darlin'. It was you who was flattering _me_." He closed his eyes and made a moaning sound. "Oh, Derek," he said, mimicking her. "You're so big, you're so hard. Don't ever. Stop. Fucking me." His voice lowered with each word, filling instead with want and need.

Penelope's eyes narrowed, but it was all for show. She didn't know whether to slap him or toss him down on the damn table and take him. "I don't sound like that," she said, giving in to neither urge.

"Oh, but you _did_," he reminded her. "And I bet I could make you sound like that again."

"I doubt it," she said. "I am _so_ over you," she said.

"_Over_ me?" Derek said doubtfully. "Darlin', we are ten feet apart, and I _still_ think I could get us both off."

Penelope resisted the urge to ask him how. She was afraid he might succeed.

He grinned at her as if he could read her mind. "When we're near each other…high voltage, baby. High voltage." He walked towards her and stopped so his face was within an inch of hers. She could feel his breath on her cheek. "Tell me you aren't all hot and bothered right now," he challenged.

"I am _not_ all hot and bothered right now," she lied convincingly. He hadn't told her that she had to mean it.

He looked her up and down, and she had to hold back a groan when she felt her nipples harden beneath his perusal.

His gaze finally landed on her chest, then lifted to her eyes. "I don't believe you."

"I don't care," she said, brushing past him and walking out of her office.

Penelope knew she was flattering herself thinking that Derek Morgan would show up at her house this weekend, but still the notion wouldn't leave her. And it wasn't a chance she wanted to take. No siree. She'd be staying with Jay-jers this weekend.

___

She shouldn't be thinking about this—it was _wrong _to be thinking about this. For God's sake, Henry was on the couch next to her fast asleep, his little head resting on a pillow, his dark eyelashes resting on his cheeks. JJ and Will had gone out for dinner and a movie, leaving Penelope in on Friday night to babysit. Not that she had any plans, anyway. Oh, no. Derek had ruined that for her. He was all she could think about. No need to go out with the memories floating around in her head. She sighed. If she were Derek, she'd be hard as a rock by now.

___

Penelope's prediction was right on. In a bed across town, Derek Morgan was wide awake, grumpy and in fact—hard as a rock. Where in the hell had she been? He'd driven by her apartment at around eight o'clock and all of her lights were out. He was going to stop and see what he could do about getting her into bed again. No such luck. He sighed at the realization that he was going to have to spend tonight alone. But the thing that _really_ pissed him off—is that not just anyone would do. He wanted Penelope Garcia in his bed. Again. Instead, he was going to have to rely on his memories to keep him warm tonight.

_He opened the door and ushered her into his bedroom, the only light from a single lamp on his nightstand. As soon as they walked in, he turned around and she walked right into his chest. "Sorry," she said breathlessly, taking half a step back._

_He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him again, his mouth crashing down onto hers. Her mouth was already open—her tongue rough and hot. He could feel himself getting hard already and had to fight back a grin at the thought. He tugged on her lower lip with his teeth, and then kissed his way from her jaw to her neck._

_Penelope pushed him away, and then began to undo the buttons on his shirt. She shoved his shirt down over his shoulders, and so impressed was she with his upper body, she wanted to taste every inch of him. She started at the center of his chest, moved to one side, her tongue flitting out of her mouth to tease his nipple. She felt his sharp intake of breath, and then stepped around so she was standing behind him. She lifted her hands to the backs of his shoulders and moved them down to his elbows, then used a finger to trace the muscles in his upper back; his skin was hot beneath her touch. She leaned forward so her lips grazed his skin. _

_He spun around then, grabbing her upper arms. "Enough of that," he growled, hauling her against him. His mouth descended, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips before seeking entrance. Her mouth opened instantaneously for him once again; his tongue thrust forward. She stepped into him, and he moved backwards until they both tumbled onto his bed. His bed was low and the fall took her breath away. He rolled them over so he was on top, one of his knees resting between her legs. He started moving his knee back and forth slowly in a massaging rhythm. She wiggled her hips to move closer to him, but when she felt his arousal, his knee just wasn't enough._

_She lifted a hand to his chest and patted it twice. "Pants," she said raggedly. "Off!"_

"_Mine?" he asked between kisses._

"_Yeah," she told him, pushing at his shoulders. He rolled off her and got to his feet, unbuckling his belt while he kept his eyes on her. She made her way to her feet on the mattress, shucking her clothes. Before he could step out of his pants, her shirt was off, and he moved forward, his head level with her chest. He lifted his hands and cupped her breasts from underneath, stroking them softly. But she shook her head. "No, no, no," she said urgently. "You're still dressed."_

_She was right, so Derek moved away and stepped out of his pants while she did the same. She fell back onto the mattress and he put a knee on the bed, crawling towards her with a feral grin. When he reached her, he covered her body with his. He started to kiss her neck, but she pushed him away, shaking her head. "There are times when a girl wants foreplay, and there are times when she just wants to get fucked. Guess which time this is?" she asked breathlessly, spreading her legs for him._

_Derek answered with his hips, pushing forcefully inside of her. Her body barely had enough time to adjust to him. _

_Apparently she didn't care, because she lifted her own with a groan. Sweet Lord, she was tight. And the woman knew just what to do with her hands—they reached up to his waist and when she dug her fingernails into his skin, Derek took it as a good sign. He began moving inside of her, pumping as quickly as his body would let him go. He was rock hard for her—and he had a feeling that if there was a way to calculate it, he'd find that he'd never been harder. He never lasted less than a few minutes—and that was at least. But with her, if he let himself, he could come as soon as he drove into her._

"_Oh, _God_," she said as he continued to move within her. Thank God he had a headboard with spindles. Penelope reached up above her head and grasped one with each hand, her grip tightening with every thrust. He was gonna get her off in no time. No question about it, the man was an exquisite lover. She lifted her head off the pillow and nipped at his shoulder. She felt his body stiffen above her, but he didn't stop._

_His head descended so his mouth came down onto hers for a searing kiss. "God, you're hot," he told her, his mouth leaving hers. "And so damn tight."_

_"I'm gonna," she said as she whimpered, letting go of the spindles to wrap her arms around his neck. She put her hands at the back of his head and pulled him closer to her._

_He nodded. "Go ahead," he said into her shoulder with a grunt. His tongue darted out of his mouth for a taste of her skin. _

_Derek didn't know if it was the woman beneath him or the fact that he hadn't been laid in so long, but he wasn't ready to let go yet. Oh, he could, but he was gonna make it last for as long as possible. He kept plunging in and out of her and from the noises she was making she was getting ready to go again. Derek grinned. Maybe this time he'd go with her. _

_He reached above her head and gripped the spindles just above where her hands had been, slowing down and taking the time to let his body slide up and down hers with each thrust. Her nipples hardened again as his chest rub against hers, and he had all he could do not to focus on them again. But he was ready to get off—and if she was willing, maybe she could stay the night and they'd have a morning after revival._

_____

_Penelope sighed in satisfaction. "What did you say your name was?"_

_He laughed as he kissed her temple, settling his body behind hers and wrapping an arm carelessly around her waist. His hand came up to absently caress a breast. "Derek," he whispered._

"_Well…pleased to meet you, Derek…"_

"_Morgan," he supplied._

_She grinned up at him. "Derek Morgan," she said, eyelids fluttering shut. He wasn't surprised. They'd had a busy night._

"_You, too, Penelope," he said as his own eyes closed. But not before he'd noticed the sun coming up behind his blinds._

It had been fabulous. And that was just the first night. Derek sighed again. If _that_ memory couldn't keep him warm, _nothing_ could.


	5. Chapter 4

Penelope had just walked into her office on Monday morning when she heard her door open and close behind her as she was firing up her baby. She spun around. "Hey," she said with false indifference.

"Where in the hell were you all weekend?" Derek asked with a piercing stare. It was filled with rage and suddenly Penelope felt smaller than she ever had in her entire life. She had a feeling that angry Derek was not pleasant to be around.

"That is none of your business," she shot back. Probably not the best thing to do, but a girl had her pride. And she couldn't help it, she was filled with satisfaction at the knowledge that he _had_ stopped by. "And—how did you even know I wasn't home? Are you _spying_ on me?"

"Borderline stalking," he said without missing a beat. "I came knocking and you were nowhere to be found!"

"That's because the last time you came _knocking,_ things didn't end so well! If you think I'm _ever_ gonna tell you where I was—"

"Hey, Garcia," JJ said, popping her head in her friends office. "Don't ever leave without saying goodbye to Henry again. He cried for almost an hour after his Ant P left. You can't stay the weekend and then just disappear like that!"

"Sorry about that," Penelope muttered. "I'll call the house the first chance I get."

JJ nodded. "Thank-you," she said. The door closed slowly as she walked away.

Derek's eyes flew to Penelope's face. He'd made an ass out of himself for _that_? He looked her up and down, his anger still in full force. "One thing you should know about me, Garcia, is that I am _very_ territorial."

Penelope had never been so confused in all of her life. Sure, he'd driven by her house, but she'd thought he was just looking to get laid. Was he looking for more? "Are you saying you _want_ me?" she asked.

"I'm saying I don't want anyone else to have you," he said lowly. He moved forward until there was barely any space between them, and then looked down at her. "Are you _trying_ to make me jealous? Because Sweet Stuff, that would be an enormous mistake."

Penelope batted her eyelashes for all she was worth. "Yes, well, unfortunately I need to make mistakes over and over again before I learn from them," she said sweetly. This was kind of fun. To think that Derek was actually _jealous_ made her feel powerful.

"Then trouble…is in _both_ of our futures," he said between gritted teeth before stalking out of the room.

Penelope sighed before picking up her phone and dialing. "Hey, Will. Can I talk to Henry?" she said into the receiver.

___

"Garcia!" JJ said urgently as she burst into Penelope's office.

Penelope screeched in surprise. "Ever heard of knocking?" she asked breathlessly.

JJ shook her head. "No. I'm presenting my first case," she said, eyes wide.

Penelope grinned. "Good for you," she said with forced excitement. _She'd _be a nervous wreck, but she was sure JJ would do a great job.

"I need you to be there," she said.

Penelope's eyes widened. "Oooooooooooh, no," she said, shaking her head furiously. "I can't do it, Jay-jers."

"Penelope, listen to me. I _fed_ you and I _sheltered_ you this weekend while you _hid_ from Derek Morgan! OK? I did that for _you_. And you need to do this for me! OK? You don't have to look at the pictures. And…I know I'm supposed to be a professional and all that, but I _need_ you to be there for me for this! Just this once." Her tone was firm, but her eyes were pleading.

Penelope sighed as she stood up. She'd never been one to desert her friends.

___

"Well, what time did she get home from work?" Prentiss asked about one of the victims.

"I'm…not sure," JJ said.

"Well, that's going to be a vital piece of information in figuring out when she was attacked," Prentiss told her.

"I—"

Aaron Hotchner wasn't sure what in the hell was going on with his team, but he'd never been so unimpressed with them. "Prentiss," he said firmly. It was clear he was holding his temper in check. "I want to remind you that Agent Jareaus' job is to present us with the facts she _does_ have, not the ones she doesn't."

Prentiss rolled her eyes as she stood up. "Wheels up in thirty?" she asked rudely.

Hotch nodded curtly, and the team filtered out of the room, except for Penelope, JJ, and Reid, who was scribbling furiously on a pad of paper.

"What the hell was _that_?" Penelope asked angrily.

JJ's eyes widened and she tilted her head towards Reid.

"As if I care," Penelope said with an eye roll. "She was totally undermining you and _trying_ to make you look like an idiot!"

"Par for the course," JJ said quietly.

But Penelope shook her head. "We have a Hatfield and McCoy situation on our hands here," she said.

"Who are _we_?" JJ asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, who won?"

"I don't know."

"No one actually _won_," Reid said, looking up. "Although the Hatfield's certainly faired much better. They only lost _one_ member of their family as a direct result of the feud, whereas the McCoy's lost _nine_."

"We're the Hatfields," Penelope said to JJ, then turned to Reid. "_You_ are a fountain of knowledge, young Dr. Reid."

He grinned sheepishly. "You'll find it annoying after a while."

Penelope grinned at him. "Never," she argued as she breezed out of the room.

___

Derek cleared his throat as he sat down next to Reid. "So…what were you and Garcia talking about?" he asked.

Reid looked up from his notebook. "What?" he asked confused.

"In the conference room," Derek said impatiently. "What were you talking about?"

Reid lifted an eyebrow in amusement. "The Hatfields and McCoys," he said.

"And?" Derek prompted.

Reid returned to his notebook. "And I'd watch my back if I were you."

___

"Where in the hell is Prentiss?" Hotch asked, looking around.

JJ ran up to the group. "She went around the back," she said breathlessly.

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Morgan, you and Reid go that way, Detective Smart and I will go this way."

"What about me?" JJ asked.

"You stay here," Hotch said.

"But I—"

"Need more field experience," Hotch finished for her.

JJ sighed as she watched the rest of her team walk away. But she couldn't argue. She _did_ need more field experience, and she certainly didn't want to be a liability by endangering anybody's life. She sighed as she put her hands on her hips.

"You OK?" one of the local officers asked her.

JJ nodded. "I'm fine," she said, then froze. "Did you hear that?" she asked, spinning around.

"Hear what?" the officer asked.

She heard a twig snap again, followed by a grunt. It sounded like it came from a female. "_That_," she hissed. The noise was coming in the opposite direction of the house. "Hotch," she said into her microphone.

"Yeah?" she heard him say.

"I heard—"

JJ never finished her sentence. She ran for cover at the sound of a gunshot. Emily appeared from the trees, the UnSub holding a gun to her head. "I'll kill her!" he ranted.

"Hotch, I can't get a shot," JJ heard Morgan say.

She moved to the front of the vehicle and lifted her gun; she had a perfect shot. JJ never hesitated as she pulled the trigger.

___

It was long past quitting time, but Penelope was sitting in JJ's office waiting for her return. In all of her time in the F.B.I., JJ had never had to shoot anyone. Penelope knew she was going to take it hard, and she wanted to be there when her friend when she arrived.

___

JJ walked off the elevator and headed straight for her office, desperate to be alone. Prentiss was fine, but the mood on the plane had been sullen the entire flight back to Virginia. She knew it was only a matter of time before she broke down, and she really didn't want to do it in front of the team who still hadn't accepted her. She opened her office door and was surprised to find Penelope sitting in her chair. Her friend smiled softly at her, and suddenly, JJ was glad to not be alone. "I shot someone," she said quietly as she sagged against the door she'd just closed.

Penelope nodded as she stood. "I know," she returned, her own tone gentle.

"I've never done that before." Her eyes began to fill with tears.

"I know," Penelope said again.

JJ broke into sobs as her friend approached her, arms outstretched. She put her head on Penelope's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her, clinging to her as she cried.

___

"Are you sure you're OK?" Penelope asked for the tenth time. JJ's eyes were still red-rimmed, but she'd made it an impressive ten minutes without crying.

She nodded. "I'll be fine. Let's just go," she said, gathering her things.

There was a knock on the door just before it opened. Hotch walked in and Penelope headed for the door. "No need to leave," he told her. He turned to JJ. "I know that it probably doesn't feel like it right now, but you did a great job today, Agent Jareau. You did exactly what you needed to do; no hesitation. And that's not always easy."

JJ didn't say anything, just nodded.

"You saved Prentiss' life. We're lucky to have you aboard," he said, then turned to Penelope. "You, too, Garcia."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. "Thank you, sir."

Hotch nodded before leaving the room.

"That was nice of him to come in here and say that," Penelope said sincerely.

JJ burst into tears.

___

"OK," Penelope said. "We're gonna make it out of the building this time." She opened the door leading out into the bullpen and she and JJ headed for the elevator. It was as if Prentiss came out of nowhere.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," JJ returned.

"I…" Prentiss' voice trailed off as she took a deep breath. "Thanks," she said simply. "Just…thanks."

JJ nodded as her eyes filled with tears once again. Penelope smiled weakly at Prentiss as she pushed JJ towards the elevator. "Do you know what this means?" she whispered exaggeratedly.

"What?" JJ asked.

"You're a McCoy now."

For the first time since returning to the building, JJ laughed.


	6. Chapter 5

"Are you sure you don't mind?" JJ asked as she and Penelope made their way into the building that Friday.

"JJ, trust me. There's no one I'd rather spend my Valentine's Day with than my little man."

JJ grinned at her friend. "Thanks, Penelope. Henry will be _ecstatic_."

"No problem." There was a short pause as they scanned their badges and made their way in the building. "So, how's Prentiss?" Penelope asked disdainfully. The woman still hadn't said a word to her. But the nasty looks spoke volumes.

"Eerily quiet," JJ said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Well, that's fine with me," Penelope said. "The less that bitch says, the better."

"You know, it might help if you didn't hum the 'Wicked Witch of the West' theme every time she walked into the room," JJ scolded.

"Mmmm…I don't think so," Penelope argued.

"Well, perhaps you could try refraining."

"Mmmm…I don't think so," Penelope repeated.

JJ laughed. "Speaking of bitches…" She gave her friend a pointed look.

"Hey, she started it," Penelope said with a pout.

"Any luck on the Derek front?" JJ asked, changing the subject as they made their way onto the elevator.

Penelope's pout changed to a scowl. "I don't like him."

"I don't believe you."

"Yes, well…I'm so over this whole cat and mouse game," Penelope said. "Big girls don't cry."

"Way to be mature, Garcia," JJ said proudly.

Penelope nodded. "They get even."

JJ groaned. "No, Penelope. No, no, no! They _don't!"_

"Yes, they do! For God's sake, JJ. I let him _inside_ of me! And now he's being a dick!"

JJ laughed weakly. "Is that a pun?"

"What?"

"That's…the part of him that was inside of you."

"Oh, don't I know it," Penelope agreed. "And good for you—trying to talk dirty! But honey, you really need to be schooled. It's an art form."

JJ groaned as the elevator doors slid open and they made their way to the bullpen. "See you for lunch?"

Penelope nodded. "Sure thing."

The women made their way to their offices, and Penelope was surprised to see a gift wrapped box sitting on her desk when she walked in. She hung her coat up in the alcove beside her door—it was the only place that couldn't be seen from the bullpen—the place where she often went to freak out right after Derek invaded her space, and then put her bag down on her desk. She picked up the card sitting on the box.

_Happy Valentine's Day. –Derek_

"What the…"

She dropped the card and tugged at the bow holding the cover in place on the box. It came undone easily, and she let it fall to the side. She pulled the cover off the box and lifted it off, then peeked inside. Her eyes widened and she gasped, scrambling the put the cover back on the box. She took a step back in shock, and stood there for a moment, her hand on her chest. After she'd collected herself, she picked up the box and stalked out of her office and to her friends.

___

"What are you _up_ to?" Prentiss asked, stopping at Derek's cubicle. He had his feet up on his desk, his hands behind his head. She looked up to see what he was looking at, and Penelope was practically stomping her way to JJ's office.

He grinned at his friend. "No good," he admitted.

Prentiss began walking away.

"Hey," Derek said.

She turned around.

"When are you gonna lay off Penelope?" he asked.

Prentiss crossed her arms over her chest, going into defensive mode. Derek had never seen her get 'catty' before. "When she stops being a bitch," she snapped.

"Maybe you need to be the bigger person," he said.

Prentiss gave him a dirty look. "Fat chance," she shot back.

Derek laughed at her play on words. "Maybe you could try," he suggested.

"Right. And maybe you could try to stay out of her office for even half a day."

"Now where would the fun be in that?" he asked with a grin.

___

JJ caught the box just before it slid off the corner of her desk. "Penelope, what the—" She started to open the box.

"For God's sake, don't open it!" Penelope said shrilly.

JJ slammed the cover back on. "Is it a snake?" she asked in a panic.

"No!" Penelope said. Then she tilted her head to the side. "Well, maybe you could say that," she said pitifully.

"OK, now I need to look." She opened the box, and her reaction was much the same as Penelope's. She jammed the cover back on the box with a gasp, sitting there for a moment, eyes wide. Then she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"JJ! This is _not_ funny," Penelope said.

"Like hell it isn't! Derek Morgan just went up ten points in my book," JJ said.

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Oh, great."

JJ took the cover off the box and peeked in again, the giggles starting all over. She held the box out towards Penelope. "Try one," she said.

Penelope took half a step towards her friend. "I don't know if I can."

"For God's sake, Penelope! Grow up and just try one!"

Penelope sighed and walked over to her friend. She lifted one of the items out of the box, and then took a bite.

Out of the chocolate, penis shaped cookie.

JJ lifted an eyebrow at her friend. "What do you suppose his secret ingredient is?" she asked with a wicked grin.

___

Penelope was researching an old cold case for Hotch when she heard the door behind her open and shut. She spun around in her chair and Derek was standing there, hands on his hips.

"So, how did you like your present?" he asked.

She stood up, leaning back against the counter. "They were awful…small," she said, looking pointedly at the zipper of his jeans.

He grinned. "Just a reminder," he told her. "They weren't meant to be a substitute for the real thing."

"Good," she said. "Because…" She let her voice trail off. She couldn't _believe_ she'd almost spoken the words she was thinking.

"Because what?" he asked—his voice laced with passion.

Penelope didn't say anything, just walked towards him. She gave a quick glance out on the floor, and no one seemed to be paying any attention to them. She walked past him, locking the door to her office, and then turned back to him. He'd turned around so he was facing her, and she walked up to him, then grabbed his shoulders. She stepped backwards, pulling him into the alcove with her. She lifted her lips to his, and Derek closed his eyes, but her lips never came. Instead, she bent down, her face level with his crotch. She unbuttoned his jeans, and then unzipped his fly.

"Garcia," he said breathlessly. "What in the _hell_ are you doing?"

"You," she said, pulling his jeans and boxer briefs down in one swift tug.

She wasn't surprised to find him already hard and throbbing. Without hesitating, she leaned forward, taking the tip of him into her mouth. She swirled her tongue around him, and he grunted as his hands shot out to the wall behind him. He had to brace himself.

"Damn, woman," he said, his voice raspy as one of his hands fell to her head, his fingers tangling in her hair.

She lifted a hand and encircled the rest of him, squeezing gently. She felt him harden even more beneath her touch and couldn't help but feel satisfied. She released her grip and moved her mouth further down his length, then back again. She continued the motion while she listened to him voice his pleasure. She reached a hand up to his belly and pulled her fingernails down, leaving a scratch but not quite breaking skin. Damn—the girl liked to mark her territory. But that was OK—Derek Morgan didn't mind being marked this way.

She took as much of him into her mouth as she could, and it wasn't until she let her teeth skim his flesh from his base to his tip that she could feel his body letting go.

"Penelope," he breathed. She could taste him in her mouth as he started to come. She closed her lips around him, swallowing as his release slid to the back of her throat. She leaned back and her eyes were closed, as if she were savoring the very flavor of him. Just the sight of it was almost enough to make him hard again.

She stood, grabbing the hem of her skirt and straightening it. "They didn't taste nearly as good as the real thing," she said, finally finishing her sentence.


	7. Chapter 6

"What's goin' on?" Prentiss asked when Derek returned to the bullpen.

"What do you mean?" he asked nonchalantly. He had all he could do not to whistle.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," she informed him.

"Do I?" he asked, sitting down and shuffling the papers in front of him.

She sat down on the corner of his desk and studied his face. "You just came out of Garcia's office and…you're grinning like a sixteen year old who just got his first blow job."

_Wow,_ Derek thought. She was _good._

He shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you," he said, lifting up one of the packets and staring at it. But he'd be damned if he could read it. He was still seeing stars.

"Derek—"

"Prentiss, I'm busy here," he said.

She sighed. "I hate it when you keep secrets," she said sulkily.

"Do you _really_ want me to tell you?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Garcia gives good…Valentine," he said evasively.

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't know what that means."

Derek tossed the papers on his desk and leaned back in his chair, meeting her eyes. "I _feel_ like a sixteen year old boy," he told her with a grin.

Prentiss' jaw dropped, but she couldn't help but be impressed. "Way to go, Morgan," she said, high-fiving him. "Action at work. I don't think I've ever _been_ more impressed."

Derek sat there—the Cheshire cat grin returning.

___

"Thanks for the recommendation, Reid," JJ said, picking up the book he'd left on the corner of her desk.

He grinned awkwardly at her. "No problem," he said.

Oddly enough, she found the young man charming. "So, hey. What's the deal with Prentiss?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"When do you think she'll let up on Garcia?"

Reid shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Do you know why she's so…rude to her?" she asked.

"The last Technical Analyst and Communications Director were good friends with Prentiss. She had no idea that they were part of a drug ring. And when they went down…well it wasn't easy for Em—Prentiss," he quickly corrected. "She was considered guilty by association. And even though her name has been cleared, her reputation is still scarred. I don't think she means to be rude. I think she's just being cautious," he explained.

"Well…how long do you expect her to be _cautious_?" JJ pressed.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"Is she like this with everyone?"

Reid shook his head. "You should see her in the field."

"Really?" JJ said, prompting him to continue.

"She has a way with people. They…open up to her. She always knows what to say, and it's always…genuine," he said.

"Is that so?" JJ asked.

Reid suddenly turned red and he cleared his throat. "Anyway," he said. "I hope you enjoy the book."

"So, how long have you been in love with her?" JJ asked as he turned to go.

Reid spun back around. "Excuse me?" he said, his voice higher than usual.

JJ grinned softly at him. "Prentiss," she clarified. "How long have you had a thing for her?"

Reid didn't say anything for a moment—just put his hands in his pockets and stared at her. "She doesn't know," he said quickly. "And…I don't want her to."

"It's our secret," JJ assured him.

___

"Don't you think we should go out this weekend?" Derek asked, catching up to Penelope as they were leaving the building that evening. They were the last two on their floor to leave—Penelope had had work she needed to get done, but she was fairly certain Derek had manipulated the circumstances to his favor.

She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Why should we do that?" she asked dryly.

"Look at how fantastic it gets when we're in the same room together," he reasoned.

Penelope laughed. "You want to go out this weekend because I gave you a good blow job?" she asked amused.

He grinned at her. "I don't think _good_ is an accurate description," he said. "I'd go for something like…miraculous." He nudged her with his shoulder. "I think I saw stars."

Penelope laughed. "Well, I'm glad it was good for you," she said. It had been pretty damn good for _her_, too. When he'd had to slam his palms against the wall to keep his balance, she'd never felt more powerful.

"So…what about that date?" he pressed.

She stopped and turned to face him. "Why do you want to go out with me?" she asked. Her tone was no-nonsense.

Derek was at a loss for words. Women didn't normally question him when he asked them out. "I…" He sighed. "I like you."

"To have sex with," she finished.

"No!" he blurted out.

She lifted an eyebrow at him.

"I mean—yes! But…while the sex is definitely incredible, I actually think I'd like you without it," he admitted begrudgingly.

She lifted her lips in a grin. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?" she asked.

He nodded and she studied his face for a minute.

"I make you nervous," she said.

"What makes you think that?" he asked.

"You don't know how to answer my questions," she said. "You stand there for a minute, trying to think of the…'player' thing to say, and then when you can't, you just say what's on your mind."

He didn't say anything; he couldn't. She certainly had _his_ number.

"Incidentally, it's almost always the right thing," she told him.

He smirked at her. "Good to know."

She continued her pace.

"Are you gonna answer me?" he pressed.

She sighed. "I don't think it's a good idea," she told him.

"It's just a movie."

"Just a movie?" she asked doubtfully.

He nodded. "No funny stuff. No...sex and…I promise I won't let you anywhere near…" He used his hand to motion towards his fly. "_This_ region again."

"I don't know," she said doubtfully.

"One movie," he said as they reached her vehicle.

One of the things she'd been attracted to about him in the first place was that he didn't want a relationship. And that had been great for her. Because Penelope Garcia didn't _do_ relationships. So what in the hell was she doing now? She nodded, swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat. Now he was making _her_ nervous.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he said, turning.

She nodded as she opened her car door. "Oh, and Derek?" He turned back around. "If I wanted to get near…" She pointed to his crotch. "_That_ region...wild horses couldn't keep me away."

He was still standing there when she drove away.


	8. Chapter 7

As it turned out, 'just a movie' turned into _dinner_ and a movie. True to his word, Derek had called her that morning…probably while he was on his way to the gym if his routine hadn't changed.

He'd asked her if she wanted to have dinner before the movie, and she'd agreed. But now she was regretting it. Dressing for a movie was a heck of a lot easier than dressing for dinner—especially when she had no idea where they were going. _And_ she didn't know if this was a Valentine's date. Did she wear a red or pink dress? Or her slinky little black number? This could prove to be problematic.

She opened her closet and rummaged around. One of the things she liked most about Virginia was that wardrobe choices were plentiful because the weather wasn't as severe down here. She didn't have to pack away her summer clothes because chances were, she'd get a chance to wear them. But _that _brought issues of her own. She couldn't decide what to wear to save her life

She sighed as she plopped down onto her bed. She grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and called for reinforcements.

___

"There," JJ said as she put the last bobby pin in Penelope's hair. She'd put it in a pony tail, curled it, then strategically pinned it to her friends head. "You look so pretty!"

Penelope's gaze narrowed. "You say that like you're surprised," she said with a pout.

JJ laughed. "I'm not surprised. I just didn't get to finish my sentence. You look so pretty…_as usual._"

Penelope grinned. "That's better. Thank you!"

JJ rolled her eyes. "You're welcome."

"Now what am I going to wear?" Penelope asked.

JJ stood up and looked through her friends' closet. "Oooh, I like _this_," she said, holding up a hot pink skirt.

"With what?" Penelope asked.

"A classic white button up," JJ said.

"He _does_ like ripping the buttons off my shirt," Penelope said.

"I thought this wasn't about sex," JJ reminded her friend.

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Oh, young JJ. It's _always_ about sex."

___

Penelope stopped at the mirror in her hallway to check her appearance one last time. Even she had to admit, she looked fantastic—the gold hoops JJ picked out had been a much better choice than the ones she'd picked out. She walked to the front door, took a deep breath, and then opened it.

Derek was standing there with a grin on his face, holding a bouquet of flowers. Roses. _Red_ roses. Penelope was taken aback. Red roses usually meant something. In _this_ case, they meant she and Derek were on two _very_ different wavelengths.

___

Penelope laughed sarcastically. "You have _got_ to be kidding me," she said as Derek pulled the car into his driveway. She turned to face him. "I hope you forgot something."

He just grinned at her.

"You said this wasn't about sex," she said, her gaze narrowing.

"It's not," he said, his eyes dancing. "For _me_. But I can see it's been on _your_ mind."

"Derek—"

"Five minutes," he said. "And if you want to leave, I'll bring you home."

She nodded, and then he got out of the vehicle and made his way over to her side, opening the door for her. They walked side by side to his front door. After unlocking it, he motioned for her to go in ahead of him. As soon as she walked through the door, Clooney ran up to her, tail wagging, and nudged his nose against her hand. She laughed as she leaned down to pet him. "Hey, boy," she said softly, her hands moving over his back. He tried to lap her hand, then fell to the ground and rolled over, prompting her to scratch his belly.

Derek watched as she played with his dog—it was one of the things that had intensified his attraction to her. He knew it was crazy, but he'd brought women home before who clearly hadn't liked animals, and it had been a turn off for him. And out of all the ones who _had_ liked Clooney, his dog seemed to favor Penelope.

She stood up as the dog ran off.

"Hungry?" Derek asked as he reached for her hand.

Actually, she was famished. She hadn't eaten all day. She smiled at him and nodded as they made their way into the kitchen.

Penelope had to force herself not to look around. She hadn't realized how many times—or places—she and Derek had had sex. All over his freakin' house. The couch, the living room floor, the _kitchen_ floor…up against the kitchen door when they'd barely made it into the house before ripping each other's clothes off. She almost sighed at the memory. That had definitely been a good week.

When she walked through the swinging kitchen door, she frowned. There were candles on the table waiting to be lit and the table was set, but not with the paper plates they'd used the last time she was here. This was much more upscale. She'd been certain that Derek just wanted to get her into bed, but she wasn't so sure now. If that was all he'd wanted, there were a thousand other ways for him to get her into bed. _Easier_ ways.

"What _is_ all this?" she asked.

"Dinner," he said nonchalantly.

"With candles?" she asked doubtfully. "And roses?"

"You knew this was a date," he reminded her.

"You know what attracted me to you in the first place?" she asked.

"What?" he returned, as he pulled a corkscrew out of one of the drawers.

"The fact that you were looking for a one night stand," she told him.

He laughed. "It's a little too late for that, Penelope."

"Well, we could just…have another one night," she said, tilting her head to the side.

He looked at her. "Or…we could have dinner and a movie, like we planned."

She sighed. "OK. But I think the sex would be better."

"That's only because you haven't tasted my spaghetti sauce," he said.

She grinned. "You just compared spaghetti sauce to sex."

"Well, if you hadn't worn such a short skirt, I'd have less trouble concentrating," he said by way of excuse. He turned around and handed her a glass of red wine.

___

Penelope wasn't sure what was going on, but Derek Morgan had been a perfect gentleman all night long. He'd even held her hand during the movie. They'd spent the entire evening alone in his house, and he hadn't made _one_ move. Much to her disappointment.

_And_ he'd walked her to the front door. "I guess this is good night," he said softly.

"Or you could just come in and we could do what we've both been wanting to do all night long," she suggested.

He moved his face closer to hers, watching as her eyelids fluttered closed. He grinned at her sharp intake of breath. His lips barely touched hers before he pulled his head back. "Not tonight, Princess," he said, as he walked away.

Penelope whimpered in protest, but it was no use. He was already gone.

___

Penelope grinned as the door opened. Henry was standing there in a suit and tie, a red rose in hand. "Hey, handsome," she said.

"Pellope, will you be my balentine?" he asked, tripping over his words.

She dropped her bag by the door and gathered the little boy in her arms. "Only if you'll be mine," she returned.

"I'm in the bedroom," she heard JJ yell.

___

"JJ, he didn't try to sleep with me," Penelope said as she watched her friend getting ready for her Valentine's Day date with her husband.

JJ laughed. "Only _you _would see that as a bad thing."

"Well…isn't it?" Penelope asked confused.

JJ turned to look at her. "He kept his word," she said. "That is _way_ sexier than him trying to seduce you."

Penelope studied her friends face for a minute. "How in the _hell_ are we even friends?" she asked.

"I keep you grounded," JJ said amused.


	9. Chapter 8

Penelope wrinkled her nose. "You know how I feel about dating, Jay-jers. I am _totally_ against it. I like hot, no strings attached sex. Why is that so hard to understand? Especially for a man? I have _never_ had a problem with some one wanting to date me!"

JJ gave her a harsh look. "If you ask me, it's about time you did."

"Well, I _didn't_ ask you," Penelope muttered.

JJ grinned. "Penelope, you're dating. You're gonna have to get used to it."

Penelope sighed. "I'm only hanging on until he finally puts out again."

JJ shook her head. "You're such a slut."

"That's what I've been trying to tell him!" she said in frustration.

"Why is it so hard to believe that someone wants to be with you?" JJ asked.

"It's not that it's so hard to believe," Penelope explained. "It's just…five years ago, that's probably what I would have wanted but now…I just want to have some fun."

JJ sighed. "Yeah. You just keep telling yourself that, Garcia."

___

Derek was standing at the island in her apartment chopping up green peppers for the spaghetti sauce he was making. He was intent on his task and it gave Penelope a chance to study him. He was wearing a yellow dress shirt—the sleeves were rolled up on his forearms, and when he moved just right, the fabric would mold to his upper arms—one of her favorite parts of his body. His tie had been shed the moment he'd left work, and the first few buttons at his neck were undone. When he turned around to get into the refrigerator, she got a nice view of his ass. She sighed from where she was sitting on the counter.

He turned around and put the package of mushrooms on the counter. "You OK?" he asked.

"No," she said with a fake sob. "I'm sexually frustrated."

He looked up as he slung a dish towel over his shoulder and grinned at her. "No sex," he said firmly.

"Derek," she wailed.

He laughed as he stepped away from the island and wiped his hands, coming to stand between her legs. He rested his elbows on her thighs. "No sex," he said again. "You know I've never had a relationship outside of the bedroom."

"So we'll…do it…in the living room," she said.

He threw his head back in laughter. "I didn't realize I was getting mixed up with the male equivalent of myself," he said.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Then you know I won't let up until I get my way."

"Or off," he said huskily.

She whimpered at the thought. "Don't be a tease," she said.

"I'm not teasing," Derek told her. "I said no sex. I didn't _say_ no foreplay," he reminded her.

She sighed as one of her hands came up to rest on the back of his head. "It's not foreplay if it doesn't lead anywhere," she rationalized.

He grinned. "It's gonna lead to a hell of a lot of screaming on your end," he teased.

She looked up at the ceiling. "Thank _God_," she said, then gasped as his mouth found her neck.

And just like that, his lips were gone. She groaned. "Where did you go?" she asked.

He grinned as he wiped the top of one of the mushrooms with the dishtowel. "I'm making supper," he reminded her.

She sighed. This was a losing battle. They'd been out every night this week—he'd even stayed over once—and nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. She'd used some of her best moves on him, and the man wouldn't budge. He was stubborn as a mule.

___

Derek reached over and filled Penelope's glass of wine until it was half full, then did the same for himself. Then he served each of them, and took his spot across from her at the table. They'd been eating for a few minutes, neither of them saying a word, when he spoke. "So, I was thinking…" he said, his voice trailing off.

She looked up at him, chewing a mouthful of spaghetti.

"We should move in together," he announced.

Penelope's eyes widened then began to water. She began coughing uncontrollably, her hand on her chest.

"Penelope?" Derek said.

She flew to her feet, still coughing. When it finally let up, she grabbed her glass of wine and downed it in one swallow, then poured herself another—a full one—and proceeded to drink _that. _

"We haven't even known each other for a month!" she said when she could finally speak.

"So, what?" he asked. "We're not a couple of sixteen year olds playing house, Penelope. We know what we want."

"I…don't want to live with you," she told him. "And you really don't have to do this. Derek, I'm not one of those girls who's gonna freak out because you don't want to be with me."

"Well, I'm one of those guys who's gonna freak out because you don't want me!" he said, jumping to his feet. He felt as though he was at a disadvantage when she was standing over him.

Her eyes widened in shock. Didn't he realize that even if this _was _normal relationship, it was still too soon to move in together? "Well, I don't know what to tell you. I just…I know how this goes. You're eventually going to get tired of me, and then you'll move on. That's OK. It's what men do," she said.

Derek stood there for a moment, studying her face in disbelief. She _actually _believed that. "_Who_ in the _hell_ fed you that line of shit?" he asked angrily.

"I—"

He held up a hand. "Never mind. I don't need to know. It was obviously someone who cheated on you."

Penelope snapped her jaw shut.

"I'm not gonna get tired of you," he told her.

"Yes, you are. That's how it goes. Trust me, I'm saving both of us a lot of grief," she assured him.

"Wha—where is this coming from?" he asked.

She stood there for a moment before answering. "I was…married at one time," she admitted.

"When?" he asked.

"A long time ago. I got married when I was 20. Three years later, I was divorced."

"Well…what happened?" Derek asked.

She shrugged. "I wasn't a good wife," she told him.

"I don't believe that."

"Well it's true."

"And your husband?"

"We just…weren't a good match."

"Did you cheat on him?" Derek asked.

"No! He…cheated on me. We got divorced, Derek, because…it just wasn't a good marriage."

"Why did he cheat on you?" Derek demanded.

She looked away. "He said I wasn't very emotionally supportive," she admitted.

"What else did he say?"

Penelope could feel her cheeks getting red. "He said that I wasn't good in bed."

Derek laughed, and Penelope's head snapped up, fire in her eyes. "We _both_ know that isn't true," he said firmly. "How old was he?"

She cleared her throat. "He was 32 when we got married," she told him.

Derek crossed his arms over his chest. "Let me get this straight. You married an older man who cheated on you, then convinced you that everything fell apart _because_ of you_?_"

She nodded wordlessly.

"He sounds like a pussy to me, Penelope. He was willing to let you shoulder the entire burden of a marriage that he wanted an easy way out of. He seduced you, and then when he got tired of you, he moved on."

"Well it doesn't matter now," she said primly.

"Of course it matters now! The way he treated you has…shaped your entire view of men!"

"Well what's so bad about the way I view men?" she asked hotly. "It's not like I won't let them into my life."

"No, you just won't let them _stay_ there once emotions get involved," he shot back.

"You _knew_ when we started our…whatever the hell this is—that I didn't want anything serious! You knew I was just looking to get laid! Don't get mad at me because you're trying to turn it into something more and I don't want to!"

"You don't _want _to?" he said, his tone angry now. "That's bull-shit, Penelope, and you know it! You want more. You're just afraid of getting hurt!"

"Well…that's who I am. If you don't like it, Derek, there's the door!" she said, pointing to the front entrance.

Derek laughed. "Is that really what you want, Penelope? For me to leave?"

She didn't say anything, just stood there miserably with her lips pursed. But she wouldn't back down—her eyes were still fuming.

Finally, Derek grabbed his jacket off the hook by the door, and Penelope watched as he left.


	10. Chapter 9

Penelope felt horrible. She hadn't meant to unload her past on Derek, but he'd pushed and she just hadn't been able to keep her mouth shut. And he'd made all of these insinuations, like…men didn't cheat and…that she was good in bed. When she was with him, she _did_ feel like she was good in bed. But was it possible to be good in bed with one person and then not with another?

And then there was the matter of getting off. Her _husband_ had never been able to get the job done. OK, well, _hardly_ ever. There was the _one_ time. But Derek…sweet Lord, he made sure she made it to the finish line during foreplay. And then again while he was inside of her. She'd never gotten off less than twice when she was with him. Was that a testament of how good _he_ was, or of how good _she_ was? Or were they just that good together?

And did he truly believe that men didn't cheat? Had _he_ ever cheated on a woman? If she _were_ to move in with him and officially date him, would he cheat on _her_?

She sighed as she tied the belt on her bathrobe. The fact of the matter was that it hardly mattered now. Derek Morgan was long gone. She'd made sure to take care of _that_.

Penelope stumbled into the kitchen and checked the coffee pot with a yawn. There were fresh coffee grounds in there, so she hit the start button and sleepily made her way over to the cupboard and pulled down a coffee mug.

She looked up from stirring her creamer in her coffee when there was a knock at the door. She wasn't expecting anyone, so it was a bit of a surprise. Oddly enough, it never occurred to her to look through the peephole, she just opened the door. Derek was standing there in his sweats and t-shirt—clearly he'd gone running this morning—with a big grin on his face. "Mornin', Babe," he said, walking past her.

Penelope would have paid to see the shocked look she was sure was on her face. Had he just 'Mornin' Babed' her? "What are you doing here? And…why do you have a suitcase?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm spending the night," he said nonchalantly as he put the suitcase down by the door.

Her eyes widened. "You…you're moving in!" she said in disbelief.

"No I'm not," he argued.

"Yes, you are! I wouldn't move in with you, so you're moving in with me!"

"That is just ridiculous," he told her.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "How many nights are you staying?" she asked.

"Just a few," he said evasively. He leaned out the front door. "Clooney!" he called. Less than five seconds later, the dog flew through her front door.

"Wha—Clooney can't stay here!" she said.

"Well, _you're_ gonna have to be the one to tell him!" Derek said.

Penelope grinned triumphantly. "My landlord does not allow dogs without—"

"A deposit." Derek nodded. "I know. I spoke to him this morning and the check is in the mail."

Was that even _legal?_ Penelope stood there for a moment, but the words wouldn't come. She had no idea what to say.

"You OK?" Derek asked.

"Well, except for the homicidal thoughts flying through my head right now, sure!" she said.

He nodded. "Good. And here I was worried you were mad," he said sarcastically.

Penelope just stood there waiting for the surprise and anger to subside. They didn't. She almost looked in the mirror to see if there was steam coming out of her ears. "I…am…going upstairs with my coffee to take a shower. And when I come back, you_ won't_ be here," she informed him as she stomped off.

___

Penelope finished blow drying her hair and was brushing her teeth when the bathroom door opened. She squealed in surprise as Derek walked in. He dropped his pants and pulled his t-shirt over his head. "What in the _hell_ are you doing?" she asked.

"I went running this morning," he told her as he turned the knobs in the shower, adjusting the water temperature. "I need a shower."

"Derek!" she screamed as he stepped into the bathtub and pulled the curtain closed.

"You OK, Babe?" he asked, peeking his head back out.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "One…two…three…" She continued until she reached ten, but she didn't feel any better. When she opened her eyes, Derek's head was back in the shower. She started to leave the bathroom, then turned around and flushed the toilet on her way out.

"Dammitt, Penelope!" he yelled.

She was in her bedroom when he caught up to her, a pink towel around his waist—the one she'd used for her own shower. "If we're gonna live together, we need to set some rules," he said.

She turned around and put a finger in his face. "WE ARE NOT GONNA LIVE TOGETHER!" she shrieked.

He grinned patiently, then leaned forward and kissed the tip of her finger. "I promise not to hog the bed," he told her.

___

Penelope walked into JJ's house and slammed the door. "JJ!" she yelled.

"Living room," JJ yelled back.

Penelope stomped her way into the living room. "Where are Will and Henry?" she demanded.

"They went to the store," she said. "What's up?"

Penelope plopped down onto the couch next to JJ. "Oh, Derek and I are living together," she said, throwing her hands in the air in a fit of anger.

"I thought you broke up," JJ said, confused.

"Yes, well so did I. Now, I know I don't speak man, but I'm pretty sure 'there's the door' doesn't translate to 'now open it and bring all of your fucking stuff in!'"

JJ's eyes widened and she pursed her lips. She'd never heard Penelope talk so fast in all of their years of friendship.

Penelope sighed. "What's _wrong_ with him?" she asked with a whine.

JJ shook her head. "I'm not a doctor, but if I had to diagnose him, I'd say he has an end stage case of 'head over heels.'" she said with a grin.

"Sweet Lord. I hope it's not contagious!" Penelope said.

JJ grinned again. "You're a carrier. But ya aren't infected yet," she teased.

"This is fate, that's what this is! All because I left Sarah at the bar that night. You should _never_ leave your friend behind! Or crazy hot men will move in with you!" Penelope said dramatically.

JJ giggled. "Hey, I have a feeling that a little Derek Morgan could do a body good," she said.

"Yeah, if he's not withholding sex," Penelope snapped, proceeding to tell the JJ the events of the morning. She'd already informed of the events of the evening before after Derek's exit.

"I don't even know what to _say_ to that," JJ said.

"Humph," Penelope said. "Some Communications Director _you_ are!" She sighed—still in disbelief—as she jumped to her feet. "One thing is for _damn_ sure," Penelope said.

"What's that?" JJ asked.

"If we're gonna live together, he is _damn _well gonna put out."


	11. Chapter 10

Penelope walked back into her apartment after her visit with JJ and tossed her keys onto the kitchen table, then headed for the refrigerator to get a drink.

"Has our sink _always_ leaked this much?" she heard from around the island.

Penelope screeched, and then walked around the counter to see Derek working on her sink. All the cleaning products that were usually stored there were sitting beside him on the floor. Penelope sighed. "First of all, it's not _our_ sink, it's _mine."_

"What's mine is yours, and what's yours—"

"And _second_ of all," she interrupted, "it's none of your business."

He pulled his body out from under the sink, and sweet Lord, he wasn't wearing a shirt. She swallowed past the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.

"It was leaking like a sieve," he commented.

"Maybe I liked it that way," she muttered.

He grinned up at her. "Or maybe you're just such a girl…you never noticed."

She grabbed the dish towel off the counter and threw it down at him. He caught it with a laugh. "Hey, I was complimenting your curves," he said as she walked away. He lifted an eyebrow at the sight of her backside. "And that one you're showing off right now…mmm mmm mmm," he said.

She spun around.

"I like those ones, too," he said, looking pointedly at her chest.

She rolled her eyes. "When are you leaving?" she asked.

"When are you coming with me?" he shot back.

"I'm not," she said.

He grinned. "You think I can't get you to…_come_ with me?" As usual, his tone was full of implication.

"You are such a pig," she said, continuing her trek out of the room.

"Bull," he corrected. "A big, horny one!" he yelled.

___

Penelope had stayed in her room for most of the day. She'd gone down and made a sandwich for lunch, then had a bowl of cereal for supper because it was quick. She had to admit, the Chicken Alfredo Derek had been making smelled scrumptious, but she'd be damned if she was going to give in on his first night in her apartment. If she was lucky, he'd make it again. Or maybe she could creep down after he was asleep and help herself to a small plate. She sighed as she put her pajama's on, then opened her bedroom door. "Clooney!" she called. A few seconds later, Clooney flew into her bedroom, and she closed the door behind him. He jumped up onto her bed, wagging his tail excitedly. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth, and she walked over and petted his head, then shut the light off and climbed into bed. She was absently stroking the dog when a thought suddenly occurred to her. She turned her bedside lamp on and jumped out of bed, then walked over to her dresser and proceeded to push it in front of her bedroom door. She grinned proudly as she climbed back into bed and shut the lamp on her nightstand off.

___

Penelope awoke with a start. Something was wrong. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, then fixed them on the door. The dresser she'd pushed in front of it was off to the side, and the door was open. She turned her head, and fast asleep next to her was Derek, Clooney on the other side of him. How in the _hell_ had he managed to move the dresser she'd shielded her door with? And without waking her up? She looked down at Clooney. "Did you help him?" she whispered accusingly. Clooney whimpered and she reached over and gave his belly a scratch, then sighed as she lay back down.

This was crazy! She was a grown woman, for crying out loud. She should be able to decide who was going to live with her and who wasn't. She _should_. But she felt completely powerless. She'd never felt like this in her entire life. And she was having trouble reading Derek to find out what was really going on. Did he _really_ want her, or was he just enjoying the chase? If she gave in, would he stay or would he go? Not that she had any plans to give in, of course, but she was still curious.

Her eyes had been closed for less than a minute when her alarm went off. Her hand shot out and hit the snooze button, but it was too late. "Mornin'," Derek growled. Clooney jumped off the bed and raced out of the room at a breakneck pace.

She sighed as she rolled over to face him. "How did you get in here?" she asked.

He grinned, his eyes still closed. "Very carefully," he said sleepily.

Penelope threw the blankets back and was about to throw her legs over the bed when something caught her eye. _Hello!_ Derek was…all ready to go this morning. Penelope groaned as she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, then opened them. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to his boxers.

He grinned, then reached out and snagged her wrist. "What do you think it is?" he asked, placing a soft kiss on the palm of her hand.

"The start of a _very _good morning," she said. She lay back down on her bed and lifted her hips, her panties coming off with single tug. She tossed them to the floor, then sat up and gave his boxers a tug.

He reached for her wrist again and held it still. "Penelope," he said quietly.

"Derek, you walked into my house yesterday and proceeded to move your things in. This morning, things go_ my_ way. And I'm commandeering your lower body…for _my_ pleasure," she said firmly. She continued tugging on his boxers and then threw a leg over his hips, lowering herself down onto him slowly.

He tried one more time to stop her. "Penelope—" he said. But she was so hot and moist, that when he grabbed her hips, he pulled her down onto him instead. "How are you so wet already?" he asked his voice gruff.

His hands grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it up. She put her arms above her head, and he lifted his lower body off the mattress while he was still filling her to remove it. It fell onto the mattress beside them, and Penelope began moving up and down his length, his lower body lifting off the mattress to fill her over and over again. He slid in and out of her with such ease he had to hold back a grunt. She leaned forward, her hands on the mattress on either side of his head, and he closed his eyes as his hips lifted again and again. When he felt her body begin to shudder, he reached between her legs and found her core with his thumb, moving it in quick circles. Her body shuddered again and again, but she kept going. When he felt her begin to weaken, he quickened his thrusts until at last they both fell onto the mattress in a rumpled heap. Derek sighed as he reached over, his hand finding one of her breasts. "What a way to start the morning," he said.

"Yeah," she said, rolling out of bed. She grinned at him over her shoulder. "There's nothing like a morning romp."

She headed for the shower and the hot water was sliding down over her body when the curtain flew back and Derek stepped in. "You know what's better than one morning romp?" he asked seductively.

She didn't say anything, just stood there in surprise.

"Two," he answered, grabbing her wrists and pushing her roughly against the wall.

___

"Hey," Derek said a little later as he walked into Penelope's office. "You forgot your lunch."

"I didn't pack a lunch," she told him.

"_I_ packed you a lunch," he said. "There was plenty of Chicken Alfredo left over, so I brought some for you."

"Thanks," she said distractedly.

"I thought we could ride in together, but you left like in a hurry," he said.

She spun around in her chair. "Don't let what happened this morning make you think I want you to stay, Derek. I'm not OK with you just moving in and forcing your way into my life."

"I didn't have to force myself into _anything_ this morning," he reminded her, looking her body up and down. "You were wet from the sight of me. And every part of your body was on fire. I know, because I ran my hands up and down the damn thing at least a dozen times."

She shrugged. "You're fantastic in bed," she commented. "I never said you weren't."

___

"What's wrong?" Prentiss asked as Derek stalked towards his desk.

The look he gave her told her all she needed to know.

"Sorry I asked," she said, holding her hands up in surrender.

He dropped into his seat, and then took a big gulp of his coffee. "You know what?" he said harshly.

"What?" she asked carefully.

"I want to call every woman I ever used for sex, and apologize," he said, surprising her.

She lifted an eyebrow. "Do you have enough vacation time for that?" she teased.

Derek lifted his head and grinned. "That's why I love you, Prentiss."


	12. Chapter 11

JJ laughed. "I'm sorry, Penelope. I really am. I'd like to side with you, but I am so in love with Derek Morgan right now."

Penelope wrinkled her nose. "I'm telling Will."

"Go ahead," JJ told her. "Look—I can't even imagine what a threat to your lifestyle he is—you being so carefree and all…not to mention so terrified of relationships—"

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Why say 'not to mention' if you're _going_ to mention it?" she snapped. "I've never understood that saying."

"But he wants you so badly that he moved his stuff into your house. Do you know how…romantic that is?" JJ asked.

"It's _creepy_," Penelope argued even though she didn't believe it—not of Derek Morgan, anyway.

JJ sighed dreamily. "And of such a…" She shuddered. "_Hot_ specimen."

"Hey," Penelope said, filled with a tad bit of jealousy. "I had sex with that hot specimen this morning. Twice. Once in the shower," she admitted.

JJ crossed her arms over her chest and gave her friend a stern look. "And you're trying to get this man out of your house _how_?" she asked.

Penelope pouted. "JJ, if he's going to stay at my place, I think it's only fair for me to get something out of it, too. Don't you?"

JJ grinned. "Did you?" she asked, her eyes dancing. "Get anything out of it?"

Penelope sighed. "So…many…times," she said. "I think he's the best I've ever had."

"Wow. That's saying a lot for _you_," JJ teased.

"I'm not a slut," Penelope said.

"Oh, I know," JJ said. They'd had this conversation before. "You're a lover of lovin'."

Penelope grinned. "That's right," she said, and then stood. "I suppose I should get back to work. I don't want to get a bad reputation already."

"Yeah," JJ said dryly. "Save that for a few months down the road."

___

JJ walked into the conference room to drop off some packets for the case she'd be presenting to the team later that morning to find Prentiss and Morgan already in there, coffee cups in hand. "Good morning," she said cheerfully.

"Morning," they said in unison, continuing their conversation. But JJ couldn't help it. She had to interrupt.

"So, Morgan…how's the living situation?" she asked.

Derek cleared his throat. "It's…OK," he said evasively.

But she wasn't watching him. It was Prentiss' reaction she was looking for. "Yeah, well, Penelope can be a…challenging roommate."

She watched as Prentiss' eyes flew to Morgan's face, then shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, well," she said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll adjust to each other." And with that, she breezed out of the room.

OK, so Prentiss had warmed up to her and was actually quite pleasant now, but she was still holding some sort of grudge against Penelope, and Penelope was JJ's best friend. They looked out for each other. JJ grinned. _And_ got their digs in when they could. All in all, it had been a pretty successful morning. JJ looked at her watch. And it was only 9:30.

___

"You're _living _with her?" Emily hissed as soon as JJ left the room.

Derek lifted an eyebrow. "Yes. I'm living with her."

"That's a pretty big step not to talk over with your best friend, don't you think?"

Derek stood up. "See? This is why I didn't tell you!" he informed her. "I knew you were going to overreact."

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm not overreacting. I didn't even know you two were serious."

Derek shrugged. "_We _aren't. I am. She's trying to get rid of me."

Emily snorted. "Bitch."

"Make up your mind, Prentiss," he said.

"Look, I don't care who you date or who you don't date, who you live with and who you don't live with. But you barely even talk to me anymore," she told him. "And now that we're not _both _playing the field, I feel a little..."

"Slutty?" Derek provided.

She gave him a dirty look. "Solitary," she said instead, going for a less severe S word.

"Well, here's an idea," Derek said. "Why don't you take those puppy dog eyes Reid's been making at you and do something with them.

"I can't date someone I'm working with," she said wrinkling her nose. "And besides, it's...Reid."

"You too good for Reid?" Derek asked.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid he's too good for me," she admitted quietly.

Derek's eyes narrowed. "Well, he's not. No one is. Maybe once you realize that, you won't have to fall into a different bed every Friday night."

"Hey!" Prentiss said.

Derek grinned as he held up his hands in surrender. "Just sayin'..."

___

Penelope's plan for after work was to go home, flop down on the couch, and watch some reruns. But first, she was going to go upstairs and put on her flannel nighty and wool socks. If Derek was going to live with her, she was going to try and be as unattractive as she possibly could. She was surprised by how the day turned out, she thought as she made her way up the stairs, Clooney hot on her heels. She'd expected Derek to join her for lunch or drop by her office again, but he hadn't. And speaking of lunch…she'd been dead on. His Chicken Alfredo had been to die for. She yawned as she made her way into her bedroom—and then froze in the doorway.

"I'm home," she heard Derek call as the door slammed shut behind him. Clooney ran past her and bounded down the stairs to his owner.

"Derek!" she screamed.

She heard him fly up over the stairs. "What?" he asked breathlessly.

"_What_ in the _hell_ is this?" she asked, sweeping her arm in the general direction of the bed.

"You said you liked my bed better," he said.

"_When_ did I say that?" she asked doubtfully.

"The first morning you woke up in it," he reminded her.

"That's probably because you were there," she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Derek grinned at her admission.

She rolled her eyes. "When did you do this?" she asked crossly.

"The movers did it at lunch today," he told her. "I met them here to unlock the door."

She took a deep breath. "Derek…"

"What?" he asked.

"Do you realize how insane this all is?"

He grinned. "Yes." He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. "But it's only because I'm crazy about you, Baby."

She took a deep breath and then her eyes fell on a package resting on the bed. "What's that?" she asked, moving towards the bed.

"Oh, that," he said casually. "That's for tomorrow morning."

He left the room and she could hear him descending the stairs, asking Clooney if he wanted to go out. She sighed, and then moved closer to the bed, the pink and red striped package with the Victoria's Secret logo on it causing her to frown. She reached for the bag and peeked in, then dumped the contents out on the bed. There was a light blue satin nightgown with spaghetti straps that would fall well above her knees with a matching robe of the same length. Penelope studied it longingly. It looked so comfortable. And she wouldn't sweat in it like she would her flannel. But…she had a point to make and dammitt—she was going to make it!

So she walked away from her bed and headed for her dresser, opening the second drawer. Her eyes widened at the sight. Gone was any trace of flannel. And all of her other pajamas for that matter. In their place were hot little numbers similar to the one on her bed. Light blues…light pinks..._hot_ pinks…dark reds…white…clearly Derek had a lot of 'likes.'

Penelope clenched her teeth. She was so sick of his alpha male attitude. She was going. To kill. Him.

So much for flannel.

___

"Where did my flannel go?" Penelope demanded, walking into the kitchen.

"Away," Derek said firmly as he studied the inside of the refrigerator.

Penelope took a deep breath. "Away _where_?" she pressed.

"I burnt them at the stake," he said, closing the refrigerator and popping a strawberry into his mouth.

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you go grocery shopping?"

He nodded. "You didn't have any fruit," he scolded her.

"I have lots of fruit," she argued. When in the _hell_ had he gone grocery shopping?

"In cans," he said in disgust. "I like _fresh_ fruit."

"Of course you do," she muttered.

"If you don't like what I picked out for your pajamas," he said, returning to their former subject, "then I guess you'll have to sleep in the buff."

"Yes, I'm sure you'd like that," she said snidely.

He grinned. "You _know_ I would," he agreed.

"Almost as much as morning sex," she said on her way out of the room. But before she could make her exit, he'd grabbed her wrist and pulled her against his chest.

"_Nothing_ is as good as morning sex," he said before leaning down to give her a searing kiss. His arms tightened around her and his tongue plunged forward into her mouth. His kiss was rough but controlled, his tongue hot and probing—just the way she liked it. Before she could lift her arms to his neck, his hands moved to her upper arms, grasping her tightly as the kiss deepened. He pulled away when she winced from his grip. "Sorry," he said gruffly as he headed for the living room. He hadn't meant to get so out of control. Leave it to Penelope…

Meanwhile, Penelope sighed as she stood there dazed. No man should be able to kiss like that. Leave it to Derek…


	13. Chapter 12

"So show me all of your sexy stuff," JJ said the next evening as she walked into Penelope's room after work. She flopped down onto her friends' bed with a bag of pretzels and popped one into her mouth. "I'm dying to see Derek's taste."

"JJ, he likes anything see through," Penelope informed her friend.

JJ threw her head back in laughter. "Yes, well, let _me_ see," she said.

Penelope sighed as she walked over to her dresser and opened it.

"Is this…" JJ looked around. "A new bed?"

"Don't even get me started."

"Courtesy of Derek?"

"Yep," Penelope said shortly.

"Wow, these are like…600 thread count sheets. Were these his?" JJ asked impressed.

"Yes," Penelope said. "And of _course _he has nice sheets. He entertains _women_ in this bed."

"Hey, don't knock those women. You're one of them," JJ reminded her, then grinned. "Possibly the last one if Derek Morgan gets his way."

"JJ!" Penelope said in disbelief.

"I'm just sayin'."

"Well, don't…just say," Penelope said. "For God's sake, he could come home and hear you!"

"Penelope and Derek up in a tree…" JJ said in a sing-song voice.

"I am _going_ to kill you."

"No you're not. I'm your only ally."

Penelope frowned. "I think I could sway Reid."

"Trust me—you couldn't," JJ said. "Show me what he bought for you!"

"OK," Penelope said hesitantly. "But I think he bought them for him."

JJ laughed. "Either way, you're both gonna be happy."

___

"About this morning…" Prentiss said breathlessly.

"I'm sorry," Derek said, slowing his pace on the elliptical so he could cool down. "I should have told you before JJ…threw the beans at you.'

Prentiss grinned. "You mean spilled them?"

"I'm pretty sure she was aiming for your head," Derek said dryly.

Prentiss laughed. "Nice. But I wasn't talking about that. I meant…have you really seen Reid give me…puppy dog eyes?"

Derek laughed. "I shouldn't have worded it like that."

Prentiss nodded.

"I should have said 'lusty looks,'" he said with a smirk.

"Oh, that's better," she said caustically. "And…_so_ untrue."

"Oh, Prentiss. He wants you so bad he can taste it."

"Has he said anything to you?" she asked.

"Dude, you're using me for chick talk!"

"No, I'm not!" she denied emphatically.

"Yes, you are," Derek said. "And…I didn't even know you could chick-chat."

"What did you think the boobs meant?"

Derek shrugged. "The same thing they all mean. Come hither."

Prentiss' jaw dropped and she gave him a dirty look, then picked up her towel and snapped it at his arm.

"Owww!" he said, rubbing the spot she'd hit. "For God's sake, I was kidding."

"No you weren't." They were silent for a minute, each slowing their pace. "Are you in love with her?"

"Penelope?" Derek asked.

"Obviously."

"I don't like that question."

"The fact that you refuse to answer…is answer enough."

Derek sighed. "I don't…know if I'm in love with her. I mean—what does love even _feel_ like?"

Prentiss tilted her head sideways with a grin. "Are we chick-chatting again?"

Derek stepped off his elliptical. "Forget it," he said crossly.

Prentiss jumped off and caught up to him as he reached the mat in the corner, then laid down on her back. He stood above her head and she grabbed his ankles, then lifted her legs. He gave them a solid shove down and she lifted them back up, then they repeated the process. She _hated_ this exercise, but her lower abs had never been in better shape.

"I've never been in love before, Morgan," she said. She groaned as she pulled her legs up again. "I've had lots of hot sex with…too many men, but love…I've never been there. I can't tell you what it's like."

"Penelope has," he said.

"Well, most people our age _have_," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but she's been married."

"Most people our age _have_," she said again.

"Well, what's wrong with _us_ that we've never been married?"

"We're holding out for perfection," she said firmly.

"Darlin', it's been right in front of you all along," he told her with a smirk.

Emily tightened her hold on Derek's ankles and pulled with all of her might. He would have gone sprawling backwards if he hadn't thrown his arms out to catch his balance. "You're fuckin' dead, Prentiss," he told her as he returned to his feet.

___

"Oh my God!" JJ exclaimed as Penelope walked out of the bathroom in her light turquoise nighty. It had spaghetti straps and a v neck, and it showed off Penelope's curves perfectly.

"I don't look too…lumpy?" she asked.

"Lumpy?" JJ asked with a laugh as she jumped up off the bed. She walked around her friend. "Trust me—you do _not_ look lumpy. You look…hot! I'm impressed. He put a lot of thought into this."

"Don't…give him…credit. He probably had a sales girl pick it out."

"No way," JJ said, shaking her head. She returned to the bed and sat down. "That man knows every inch of your body."

"Tell me about it," Penelope said dryly.

"He has amazing taste."

"Thanks," Derek said, as he walked into the room.

Penelope jumped as she spun around. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I live here," he reminded her.

"I thought you were just staying for a while," she said.

Derek shrugged. "Yeah, until we decide to get something bigger. Damn…" He looked her up and down. "You look _hot."_

Penelope put a hand on her hip and gave him a dirty look.

"Doesn't she?" JJ said with a huge grin. She was practically glowing. She knew she should leave the room, but she wasn't about to miss this exchange.

He winked at JJ. "And that one was my favorite." He turned to Penelope. "It's like we have one mind, babe," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Between us, that's _exactly_ what we have," Penelope snapped. "And guess how much of it is yours?"

Derek chuckled. "That's OK," he teased. "When you're around, I'm not thinking with my mind anyway."

JJ hooted with laughter. "Derek Morgan, you are my _favorite_ SSA," she said.

He looked at her and grinned. "Thanks," he said. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door and the girls heard the water in the sink start running.

"Can you _believe_ that?" Penelope said.

"What I can't believe," JJ said. "Is that you didn't run right after him and kick _me_ out!"

"I'm not gonna kick you out," Penelope said. "You're the only thing that's making him behave right now."

"Oh, right," JJ said. "Penelope, you are so naïve. I may not be good at the dirty talk, but let me tell you about men. I am _not_ making him behave right now. If he wanted you this very second, he'd take you right in front of me."

"That is a _gross_ thought," Penelope said.

"She's right!" they heard Derek yell through the bathroom door.

Penelope walked over and pounded on the door. "Stop eavesdropping!"

The door flew open and Derek grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him, placing a rough kiss on her lips. "Sorry, baby," he said. He let her go and slammed the door in her face. She took a deep breath and counted to…three. That's as far as she made it.

"Subject change."

JJ nodded. "Will's trying to get a night alone with me. When can you watch Henry?"

The bathroom door flew open again. "Bring him over Saturday night. He can stay with us," Derek said. But Penelope didn't hear a word he'd said. He was standing there in his sweatpants—no sweat soaked t-shirt—and he had shaving cream on one side of his face, a razor in his hand. Those frickin' abs…

"What?" JJ said.

"Penelope and I would love to have him." He looked at Penelope. "Wouldn't we?" he asked.

Penelope finally gathered her wits about her and her insides began fuming. It was one thing for him to weasel his way into her house—she could still keep him at arms length. Well, _most_ of the time. But to weasel his way into her godson's life? That was just too much. If he was good with kids…she shuddered at the thought.

"Really?" JJ asked.

Penelope held back a sigh. "Of course," she said.

"Great!" JJ jumped up and kissed Penelope on the cheek. "Thanks!" She looked at Derek. "Nice abs, by the way."

Derek nodded. "Thanks," he said, closing the bathroom door.

"I am _so_ in love with him," JJ whispered.

"He'll be dead by morning," Penelope said dryly.

JJ rolled her eyes. "Stop threatening to kill all of us. I'll see you tomorrow."

JJ left the room and Penelope caught her own reflection in the mirror. She walked closer to the glass was surprised by what she saw. She _did_ look pretty good. The nightgown was cut low enough so that her breasts were bulging just a teensy bit over the v, and it cinched at the waist, then flowed over her hips to fall just below her thighs.

Penelope sighed. She was pretty sure that though she'd won a few battles, she wasn't going to win the war. And then she rolled her eyes. She was fooling herself. She hadn't even won a battle yet. _And,_ she thought as she headed for the bathroom door. _She was about to lose another._ She flung the door open and Derek was standing there with a smirk on his face. "What took you so long?" he asked huskily as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her against him.


	14. Chapter 13

Penelope opened the door again and peeked out at her bright white porch. Derek had been up until after ten o'clock last night painting it. But he really shouldn't have wasted his time; for God's sake, she _rented_ this place!

She closed the front door and went into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. Well, since it _was_ painted and it _did_ look gorgeous, she figured she might as well enjoy her morning brew sitting outside in the sunlight. She opened the door and shrieked in surprise. Then she sighed. "Good morning, _Prentiss_," she muttered. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"We're going running," Penelope heard from behind her as Derek descended the stairs. He appeared at her side. "Morning, Em."

"Hey," Emily said.

Derek leaned down and gave Penelope a quick kiss on the cheek. "Be back after my run." He moved his lips to her ear, his warm breath tickling her flesh. "Save me a cup of coffee," he whispered huskily.

With that, Derek and Emily disappeared down the sidewalk.

How in the _hell_ had he managed to make _coffee_ sound so…sensual?

XXXXX

"Outta my way, Ant Pellope!" Henry said as he came sprinting into the kitchen.

"What's going on there, Jesse James?" she asked.

"The Native 'Merican is after me!" he said breathlessly, his little hand on the top of his cowboy hat to hold it in place. Clooney came bounding into the room not long after, a red handkerchief tied around his neck. "Tonto!" Henry said excitedly.

"That's _Clooney,_" Penelope corrected him.

But Henry shook his head. "No. Uncle Derek said his name is Tonto right now."

With a bellow, Derek came running into the room and Henry screeched, circling around the island in the middle of the kitchen with Derek hot on his heels. "Freeze!" Derek yelled as Henry started to run back into the living room. Henry stopped and spun around. "I'm holding Ant Pellope hostage!" Derek announced. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, earning him a surprised screech.

Without warning, Henry's lower lip started quivering and his eyes flooded with tears. "Pellope," he said pitifully.

Penelope swatted Derek's arms away from her waist and turned to shoot him a dirty look before rushing to Henry's side. "What's the matter?" she asked as she crouched down before her godson.

Henry sniffled. "Did Uncle Derek hurt you?" he asked, placing his hands on her cheeks and studying her face.

"Oh, sweetie," Penelope said as she pulled the little boy into a tight hug. "No. Uncle Derek didn't hurt me."

"But why did he squeeze you?" he pressed.

"He was just playing with you," she said, wiping at the single teardrop on his cheek.

"But I don't like to play like that," Henry said.

"He's sorry," Penelope assured him. "Right, _Derek_?"

Derek was at her side in an instant. "I'm sorry buddy. I didn't know Ant P was off limits."

Henry nodded uncertainly as he wiped at his nose, and when Penelope was sure he was OK, she straightened.

"I have an idea," Derek said.

"What?" Henry asked. He and Derek had hit it off immediately, and they'd played hard all afternoon. Henry's tears were a testament of how tired and worn out he was.

Derek swept the little boy up in his arms. "Do you like hot chocolate?" he asked.

Henry nodded.

"How about I whip us up some hot chocolate and then we grab a blanket and sit out on the front porch?"

"But it's dark out," Henry reasoned.

Derek grinned. "That means we're gonna be able to see the stars."

"Will we see a shooting star?" Henry asked.

"We might," Derek said.

Henry nodded excitedly, his earlier worries forgotten. "That sounds good."

XXXXX

Derek took a sip of his hot chocolate and then looked down at Henry when the little boy giggled. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"You have whipped cream on your nose," he said.

"Where?" Derek asked.

Henry reached up with his finger and swiped at the white blob, then rubbed it on Derek's shirt.

"Gee, thanks," Derek said dryly.

"You're welcome," Henry said.

"There's a shooting star," Penelope said softly, pointing to the swirling silvery fire in the sky.

Henry's eyes snapped up and he when he saw it, he sighed in contentment. "Mommy says we should make wishes when we see shooting stars."

Penelope nodded. "I've heard that, too," she said.

"But you saw it first," Henry said. "So it's_ your_ wish."

Penelope grinned down at him, nestled in between her and Derek on the cushioned bench. "I want _you_ to have my wish."

Henry giggled. "I wish Uncle Derek would kiss you," he said.

"What?" Penelope asked in surprise.

"You gave me your wish," Henry reminded her. "So I wished what I think _you_ wanted to wish." He grinned again. "I wish Uncle Derek would kiss you."

"Henry—"

Derek lifted his free hand from the back of the bench to the nape of Penelope's neck. "Penelope," he said softly. "It's the little boys wish."

He leaned forward, pulling her face closer to his until their lips met in a tender kiss. It was quick, but it was enough to make Penelope's heart flutter.

XXXXX

"He's out like a light." Henry didn't stir as Derek laid him down on the couch with the blanket wrapped tightly around him.

Penelope sighed. "It's about time. He fought it forever," she said as she as she smoothed his hair back from his face. After placing a soft kiss on his cheek, she made her way into the kitchen and started to fill the sink with hot water, adding a few drops of dish liquid.

"Leave them for the morning," Derek said as he walked into the kitchen.

"There are just a few," she argued as she put the dirty mugs into the water. Derek grabbed a dish towel and proceeded to dry after Penelope washed. When they were finished, he folded up the towel and hung it over the handle on the oven, watching as Penelope washed the countertops. She finally tossed the dishrag into the sink and spun around. It was then that Derek grabbed her hand and pulled her arm towards him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said innocently as he pulled the can of whipped cream out from behind his back and then squeezed some onto her wrist.

"Derek, what are you doing?" she repeated.

Instead of answering, Derek lowered his mouth to her wrist, his tongue flicking out to taste the whipped cream.

Penelope shivered when his tongue brushed against her skin. He lifted his head and Penelope lowered her eyes to the splotch of whipped cream at the corner of his mouth.

"Please don't sleep on the couch tonight," he said, his tone pleading.

Penelope cleared her throat and lifted her eyes from his mouth. "Henry can't be down here alone," she said by way of excuse.

"JJ and Will are gonna be here soon to pick him up," he reminded her.

Penelope didn't say anything.

"Why are you fighting me, Baby Girl?" he asked softly.

Why was she fighting him? Because she was afraid that the second she _stopped _fighting him, he'd be gone. It was the chase he loved, not _her_. And as long as she ran…he'd stay.


	15. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: I just wanted to say thanks for all of the reviews for last chapter! You guys are the best! -Angie_

Penelope dropped into the chair across from JJ's desk with a sigh.

Her friend looked up from her paperwork with a grin. "Yes, Penelope?"

"What are you doing to me?" she asked accusingly.

"I'm sorry?" JJ said confused.

"This…thing with having Henry every other Saturday…" Penelope said, letting her voice trail off. After she and Derek had babysat him for the first time, he had insisted that they spend more time with him, and JJ and Will had agreed that they could use a date night every other weekend, thus the current situation.

"I'm sorry," JJ said. "I thought you _liked_ having Henry."

"I _do_ like having Henry," Penelope insisted. "I _love _having Henry. You know that."

"Then what's the issue?" JJ asked.

"He's bonding with Derek."

"Isn't…that…a good thing?"

"No! It is _not_ a good thing!" Penelope said as she jumped up from the chair. "Derek isn't going to be around forever and—"

"OK, Penelope?"

Penelope stopped talking abruptly and looked at her friend.

"Breathe," JJ coached.

Penelope took a deep breath.

JJ held a hand out towards the chair her friend had just vacated. "Now sit."

Once again, Penelope did as she was told.

"Now talk to me. What's going on?"

"Derek's not going to be around forever," she said miserably.

JJ sat there for a minute studying her friends face. "Penelope, am I correct in assuming that you've gone and…fallen in love with your boyfriend?" JJ asked.

"He's not my boyfriend," Penelope said instinctively.

JJ groaned and let her head fall to the papers on her desk. After a few moments, she lifted her head again. "Get out of my office," she said.

"What?" Penelope asked.

"You are so hell bent on keeping Derek at arms length for all of these reasons that don't exist!" she informed her friend.

"They exist," Penelope muttered.

"Really?" JJ asked impatiently. "Because the last time I checked, Derek Morgan was not your ex-husband."

"That's a low blow, Jayje," Penelope said.

JJ went on as if her friend hadn't spoken. "And _I _have to listen to it! Day in and day out! Do you know what it's like to listen to your friend complain about a handsome _nice_ man who also happens to be in love with her?" she asked.

"Wow," Penelope said. "Apparently the straw broke the camel's back."

"Apparently it did," JJ agreed.

Penelope sighed. "He's not in love with me," she argued.

"Of course he is," JJ shot back.

"Well he's never said it."

"Why would he? You've already stripped the man of his pride. He's probably hanging onto the last shred of it."

"I haven't _stripped _him of anything," Penelope said. And it was true. She hadn't slept with him in over two weeks. She was _very _proud of that fact. It certainly hadn't been easy trying to resist him. Not that he was even _trying_ to get her into bed…unless you counted the fact that he was constantly strutting around the apartment in his boxers.

"Penelope, a man doesn't move in with a woman he doesn't care for. He doesn't…fix her sink and paint her porch," JJ informed her.

"JJ—"

"Excuse me, Garcia?" Hotch asked as he poked his head into JJ's office.

Penelope looked up. "Sir?"

"I have a meeting in a few minutes and I haven't been able to find the bulletin board since they repainted the conference room walls last week. Any idea where it could be?" he asked.

Penelope nodded. "I'll get it," she said, then turned to JJ. "I hate it when you don't side with me."

XXXXX

"It's been weeks, Em. She's not budging," Derek told his best friend with a sigh. He was at his wits end. He didn't know what to do anymore. He figured it was probably because he'd never had to really 'court' a woman before. They just seemed to fall at his feet.

Emily sighed. "Derek, have you tried using your words?"

"I…used action," he told his friend. "For God's sake, I moved in."

"OK, Derek? Here's the thing. Women figured out a _long_ time ago that men need action. It's why we put out. But men _still_ have not figured out…that we need words."

"I'm not good with words," he told his friend.

Emily gave him a stern look. "Really? Have you even tried? Or are you letting…Derek, Jr. guide you?"

Derek returned her look with a dirty one. "I'm letting Derek, Jr. guide me," he admitted.

Emily laughed. "You know what? You can't even tell _me_ that you love her. I bet you haven't even admitted it to yourself. How is _she_ supposed to believe it?"

XXXXX

"Stupid thing," Penelope muttered as she tugged on the bulletin board Hotch had requested. Someone _really_ ought to straighten up this supply closet.

"I didn't get the memo."

She squealed in surprise and spun around, her hand flying to her throat. "Dammitt, Derek!" she said breathlessly. Then, "What memo?" she asked confused.

"To meet you in the supply closet," he told her. "It's a little uncreative, though. I mean—the supply closet? It's a little cliché."

Penelope rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Derek?"

He looked her up and down. "Well I should think _that_ would be obvious," he said. "I hardly get to see you at home. I mean—it's like we're roommates instead of a hot couple."

"Are you _crazy_?" she asked shrilly. "Or just plain stupid? What? You can't find anyone who wants you, so you have to go for someone who doesn't?"

"Oh, Darlin'," he said. "I could have any woman I want. I simply choose you."

"Well _I_ don't choose _you!_" she spat. "Maybe you should have considered that before you moved in with me! Or…hey—here's a crazy idea! You should have _asked_ me!"

"Oh, I never ask a question when I know I won't like the answer," he explained. He moved her out of the way and grabbed the bulletin board, giving it a single tug to free it. "Where did you want this?" he asked.

"In the conference room," she told him.

Derek turned to leave the room and Penelope followed, nearly crashing into him when he came to a sudden stop.

"Geez, Derek," she said scolding him. "A little warning would have been nice!" She would have said more, but he was looking at her—admiring her was a more accurate word—and she suddenly lost any desire to lecture him. "Derek?" she said questioningly.

"Penelope I…" Instead of finishing his sentence, he leaned down and gave her the softest of kisses. It was short, but it was sweet. "I'm crazy about you," he told her when he lifted his lips from hers. "I just thought you should know that." She could feel his breath on her cheek as he spoke.


	16. Chapter 15

_Thank you for all of the reviews for last chapter. You guys are the best! I hope you enjoy this one! - Angie_

Derek Morgan upped the speed on his treadmill in order to work off his frustration. Em was right; if he couldn't even _think_ about the possibility of being in love (_this_ certainly didn't count), then how could he expect Penelope to believe that he intended to stick around for the long haul?

While he didn't appreciate being compared to her ex-husband, he could understand her cold feet. The only experience she really had in relationships was one where she'd been made to feel as if everything that had gone wrong had been _her_ fault—as if she was a failure. He wouldn't be so quick to jump in, either. But that was exactly what he'd forced her to do.

They'd met and had six fantastic days of sex, which they'd _both_ agreed to. Well, they'd only agreed to the first night, but it had quickly become apparent that they had a lot more to explore in the bedroom than one night had allowed them to, so they'd extended their liaison in order to accommodate that.

Then she'd shown up at the BAU, and he'd proceeded to treat her as if she was less than an equal in the office, expecting her to still warm his bed at night. He groaned at the thought. When he was putting everything into perspective, he sounded like a real jerk—even to himself.

And lastly…kicker of _all_ kickers…he'd forced himself on her when by moving into her apartment. He'd thought it would be a huge show of commitment, but now he supposed it was just a show of how domineering he could be. Especially since she'd been adamant about _not_ living together when he'd broached the subject.

And let's not forget that he'd wormed his way into Henry's life. She was obviously smitten with the little boy, and he'd figured if he could become a part of that, then it would be just one more way for him and Penelope to bond. But no, it had only served to make her angrier with him.

Derek upped his speed once again, irritated with himself. He was fresh out of ideas—commitment had never been his strong suit, and he wasn't sure what to do next.

XXXXX

Penelope figured it was probably the closest thing to a declaration of love that Derek Morgan had ever delivered. And it stunned her to think that _she'd_ been on the receiving end of it. If she could just understand what it was he saw in her…_was_ it that she was playing hard to get? Or did he really have feelings for her? And if he did, then _why_ did he? It wasn't like she'd been nice to him. She'd been doing everything she could to drive him away, trying to _just_ fall short of actually doing it.

But Penelope held a lot of stock in JJ's opinion. One of her friends' strengths was her ability to see things from both sides, and _she_ seemed to be convinced that Derek wasn't playing games. Could she be right?

XXXXX

She'd seen them gather in the conference room, so she wasn't surprised when she heard him walk in. It was part of his routine to come and say goodbye to her before the team took off on a new case.

She could smell his aftershave as if he'd just put it on. He was probably freshly showered from a workout. That was one of the perks of the FBI. They preferred you to be in tip-top shape, so if there were no meetings to attend and you were semi-caught up on your paperwork, you could use the on-site gym during the work day. Penelope made sure she always had paperwork to do.

"Hey," he said from behind her.

She spun her chair around and he was standing in her doorway, his hands in the pockets of his black pants with his go bag slung over his shoulder—he looked so masculine and sexy, as usual. "Hey," she returned, refraining from making any flippant remarks.

"We're heading out."

She nodded. "OK," she said.

He didn't say anything, just turned to leave.

"Derek," she said.

He turned to face her.

"Be careful," she said softly.

He gave her a tired grin. "Always."

She watched his retreating form with confusion. He didn't leave like this. Not with just a goodbye. He would come in, tell her how much he was going to miss her, and then tell her about all the naughty things he was going to do to her when he got back. And then she'd roll her eyes and tell him that no, that was _not_ what was going to happen. It was what they _did_. Except for today.

Penelope took a deep breath trying to calm herself. Great. Now her anxiety factor had just gone through the roof.

XXXXX

As it turned out, it was a local case. The team was about one hundred and twenty miles away (if you could call that local), and they'd taken FBI vehicles instead of the helicopter to get to their destination. Penelope hadn't heard from them since late last night, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. She often didn't hear from them for hours at a time—until they needed her to work her magic and gain elusive information for them.

When her phone rang, she answered in her usual chipper tone.

"Garcia, it's Hotch," he said before she could finish her greeting.

"What's up, sir?" she asked, suddenly all business.

"Garcia, listen to me very carefully," he instructed.

"I'm all ears," she informed him.

"JJ's been taken hostage," he said carefully.

Penelope gasped her hand flying to her throat. "Sir?"

"I need you to look up a name for me. It's Francis Farmer, Garcia. I need you to look up that name for me and tell me if you can find any other names he might have used."

Penelope didn't say anything; she couldn't. The shock at her friend being taken hostage was too overwhelming.

"Garcia!" Hotch scolded.

"Yes. I'm…I'm on it," she told him, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "I'll call you back." She hung up on Hotch, and immediately dialed another number.

"You OK?" Derek asked when he answered his phone.

"Get her back, Derek," Penelope ordered.

Derek could hear the tears in her voice. "Garcia—"

"I'm not kidding," she said hysterically. "JJ is…she's my family, Derek. She's Henry's _mother! _Get. Her. Back."

There was a short pause. "I'll get her back," he promised, disconnecting the line.

Penelope refused to look too far into her feelings—there would be plenty of time for that later, _after _they'd gotten JJ back. What she _did_ know was that she'd just extended a huge amount of trust to Derek Morgan—something she wasn't willing to do for her unit chief.

Ten minutes later, Penelope had the information Hotch had requested and dialed his number.

"Garcia?"

"He has three aliases that I could find. Frank Frisco, Frisco Franks, and Frisco Farmer," she said concisely.

"Not that creative, is he?" Hotch asked.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" she asked angrily. But Hotch had already hung up on her.

Until they got JJ back, time was going to pass like molasses, she thought as she fell into her chair. She wouldn't even consider the fact they wouldn't get to her in time. Penelope could feel her world crumbling around her as she broke into sobs.


	17. Chapter 16

_Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one..._

There were no two ways about it. Jennifer Jareau was in serious trouble. First of all, her wrists were bound, which was _never_ a good sign, well…_almost _never. Second of all, her captor hadn't blindfolded her when he'd brought her here. And she'd been in the room long enough to know what _that_ meant. He wasn't planning on letting her go…at least not alive. She would have screamed, but he'd gagged her, too. Not that it was any use…she was in the middle of nowhere. She took a deep breath and started moving her wrists again only to wince in pain. The rope was tied so tightly that they were raw from previous attempts to get loose. It really wasn't any use. There was no way out.

XXXXX

She started trembling when she heard the footsteps on the stairs. This was the first time he'd been back since he'd brought her here, and she wasn't sure what his intentions were…was he going to torture her, like he had the others? Or was he just going to kill her quickly? She forced herself to keep a calm exterior as he walked into the deserted room.

"Hello, JJ," he said, his voice terse.

She, of course, couldn't say anything. That was probably a good thing, because she would have begged…just like he wanted her to. She wished she could see his face; it was still shrouded in that dark hoodie. It was easy to fear what you couldn't see.

"You really shouldn't have told the _entire_ state of Virginia that I'm impotent. Especially since it's not true," he said angrily.

Something had happened. She had no idea what, but his entire demeanor had changed. He'd been calm before, euphoric, even; now he was furious. And suddenly, JJ was terrified. It was then she knew. There was no way she was going to get away from this man. She was never going to see Henry, Will, or Penelope again.

XXXXX

Hotch was going to kill him, and most likely…fire him. But as Derek crawled through the broken window, he tried to push _that_ thought from his mind. All he could think about was Penelope's tone of voice on the phone. She'd been scared to death. And desperate. He was fairly certain Penelope _hated_ to ask for help, but she'd done it anyway. And she'd chosen to ask _him_ to help her, even though she'd had Hotch on the line. Derek thought it was the glimmer of hope he'd been looking for, in just the form he'd wanted. Trust. But he knew that before it was fully his, he was going to have to save her best friend.

He pulled his gun from its holster and climbed the stairs gradually and stealthily, cringing when he heard a creak. But at the same time, he heard a large crash upstairs and realized it wouldn't have been heard. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, praying that Hotch and the rest of the team would arrive soon. After he'd left the police station, he'd waited for fifteen minutes, then he'd called Hotch and given him the information Penelope had gathered about the location. In true Hotch style, he'd given his disappointed speech, making Derek feel guilty. But it hadn't mattered. At that moment in time, Penelope had trumped Hotch, and so, by default, had JJ.

He heard the ranting begin again followed by more crashing. Quickening his ascent, he reached the doorway that lead to the noise and froze, trying to listen. From what he could tell, the UnSub was raving _at_ JJ, which meant she was still alive. He sent up another prayer—this time of thanks—and stole a glance into the room. The man was back to, and he saw JJ tied up in a chair, shaking with fear. The man was escalating with each moment, and Derek knew he had to act _now_. He lifted his gun and pivoted on his heel so that he was standing in the doorway. "Freeze, Bellows!" he yelled.

He turned around, the cop turned UnSub, with his gun already drawn. And after getting in one good shot, Derek threw his entire body to the right, crashing into the splintered floorboards.

XXXXX

He could hear JJ sobbing as he sprung to his feet, and he was at her side in an instant. But her eyes were on her captor. Derek had hit him square in the chest, and the force of the shot had thrown him backwards, straight into JJ. Her chair had toppled over and his slumped body was covering hers. Derek moved the guy off her, and then felt for a pulse. There wasn't one. He quickly righted JJ's chair and pulled the gag over her head, then unbound her wrists.

"Hurry up," she said through her choked sobs. Derek freed her not a moment to soon and she jumped to her feet, ready to flee the room she'd spent the last sixteen hours in when she heard pounding on the stairs. "Oh, God!" she said weakly.

"JJ!" Derek said, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a soft shake to get through to her. "It's the rest of the team!"

She nodded and then froze. "Derek," she breathed. "You're bleeding!"

XXXXX

JJ and Morgan had received medical treatment at the crime scene, so after tying things up at the local police station, the team had headed straight back to Quantico. As soon as JJ had walked into the BAU, Penelope had smothered her friend in a bone crushing hug while the rest of the team had been brought in for questioning; it was protocol whenever someone was shot to get the facts while they were fresh in everyone's mind.

They'd been questioned in separate conference rooms, coming out one by one. Reid and Prentiss had been the first two out, followed shortly thereafter by Hotch, who was waiting for Morgan when _he_ came out. Hotch had then marched him to his office, and slammed the door behind them. That was when the screaming had started. It was the first display of _real_ anger Penelope had witnessed from Hotch since she and JJ had arrived at Quantico.

XXXXX

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH DANGER YOU PUT YOURSELF IN?" Hotch exploded. "For God's sake, Morgan! You were shot!"

"It's just a graze," Derek muttered.

"_Just_ a graze? Morgan, it should be _nothing_! You didn't trust this team enough to help you," Hotch accused. "What were you _thinking_?"

That was the problem. He _hadn't_ been thinking. Not with his head, anyway. He'd been thinking with his heart, and _that_ had led him straight to Penelope via JJ. Derek had made some rash decisions during his time at the BAU, but Hotch was right. This one took the cake. And all for a woman. Derek nearly groaned. Emily was right. He _was_ in love. With a woman who didn't love him back.

XXXXX

Penelope was out in the bullpen, eyes glued to Hotch's door. She couldn't see anything, because he'd drawn the blinds as soon as he'd realized there was an audience. So Penelope made her way to the one person who might know what was going on. "What's he doing?" Penelope asked quietly as she made her way to Prentiss' desk.

"If I had to guess, I'd say he's listening to Hotch ream him a new one," Prentiss said dryly

"For _what_?" Penelope asked. "JJ is safe! And _Derek _got shot!"

"For going against a direct order!" Prentiss informed her hotly. "Just like you asked him to."

"You think this is _my_ fault?" Penelope asked.

She might not be crazy about Penelope, but her friend certainly was. And she'd had enough of this little game the two of them were playing. So Prentiss slammed her file closed and shot to her feet. "Would you wake up and smell the candy and rainbows!" she snapped. "Morgan would do anything for you because he loves you!"

Penelope blinked in surprise—not necessarily at the information, but at the messenger. "Derek's not…" She started the sentence automatically, but at Prentiss' glare, the words died on her lips.

XXXXX

After Hotch had come out of his office to inform Penelope that it was going to be a long time before he was through with Derek, she'd waited for JJ and then brought her friend home to Henry and Will. JJ had asked her to stay while she'd relayed the story, and then Penelope had headed for home.

She sighed in relief when she saw Derek's vehicle in the driveway. She'd turned the car off and hadn't bothered to pull the keys from the ignition as she hurried for the house, desperate to see him. But once she was inside, nervousness took over and she pulled her concern in check.

She walked into the living room and Derek was sitting on the couch drinking a glass of ice water, Clooney lying beside him. He looked exhausted. Penelope dropped her purse on the stand just inside the entryway, and walked over, shooing Clooney so she could sit down next to him. She stared at Derek's face for a full minute and he could see the tears glistening in her eyes. Then, ever so gently, she leaned forward and put her arms around him, laying her head on his good shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered.

He lifted his hand and began to stroke her hair. "You're welcome," he said tenderly.

She pulled back, and he could see that she'd lost the battle for her emotions—her cheeks were streaked with tears and mascara. "Are you OK?" she asked her voice barely audible.

He nodded. "It was just a graze."

Penelope laughed nervously. "There's no such thing as _just_ getting shot," she said shrilly.

Derek sighed. "You're right," he agreed.

"Listen, Derek," she began, swallowing past the lump in her throat. "I…I'm ready."

He must have had a look of confusion on his face, because she clarified.

"Dating, relationship…whatever you want. I'm ready," she told him.

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, smoothing her hair with his hands as he pulled back. "No," he said quietly.

"But…" Her eyes followed him as he stood up.

He shook his head. "I don't want you to want me because…I saved your friend. I want you to want me, because you're as crazy about _me_ as I am about _you_," he continued. "I'm sorry for _forcing_ myself on you by moving in here. I thought it would show you how serious I was." He laughed humorlessly. "Instead I think it made me look like an ass."

Penelope sat there in stunned silence. She thought she'd just given him what he wanted. But instead of taking her in his arms and telling her he'd waited so long for this, he headed for the door…towards the luggage she hadn't seen when she'd first come in.

He leaned down and gave his dog a pat on the head. "Take good care of her, buddy." Then he turned to look at her, a sad smile on his face. "Good-bye, Baby Girl."

And just as swiftly as he'd walked _into_ her life, he proceeded to walk out of it.


	18. Chapter 17

_Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one! - Angie_

Penelope Garcia had never been so happy to see five o'clock on a Friday afternoon arrive. The last few days had been miserable. The tone of the entire unit had been dismal; news of JJ's ordeal had spread like wildfire, and episodes like this always made folks remember the enormity of their jobs and the risks they took every day.

And then…of course there had been Derek. He had broken her heart…granted he'd done in unknowingly as she'd been insisting for the last six weeks that she didn't love the man…but he'd still done it.

No matter what she told JJ, and no matter _what_ she told herself, she was in love with him. Oh, she'd tried to talk herself out of it, but it hadn't been possible. He'd weaseled his way into her heart with his sweet nicknames, and his…fixing of all the little things in her apartment, and his proficiency in the bedroom. But most of all, he'd weaseled his way into her heart with his perseverance and his pillow talk. She tried not to listen to him, to just roll away from him at night and go to sleep, but he wouldn't let her. He'd usually grab her hand, intertwine his fingers with hers, and just…talk. It was mostly one-sided because if there was anything that Penelope Garcia was good at, it was keeping her walls up. And sharing—at least on her part—would have forced some of them down, and she hadn't been ready for that yet.

She _knew_ what he wanted: he loved his job at the FBI, and he was hoping that when Hotch moved on, he'd be chosen to take his place as unit chief; he wanted four kids…two boys and two girls. He'd love for his girls to have blonde curls, but with a grin, he'd told her he was fairly certain they'd have black hair, that the boys would be lucky to have any hair at _all_. And what he'd love most was for the F.B.I. to establish another Behavioral Analysis Unit in Chicago, because the only thing better than having a job that he loved would be for him to be able to be close to his family, too.

She knew _all _those things about him…and more.

He'd fallen in love with her and her fear was that he barely knew her…he'd given her every part of himself, and she hadn't done the same. When she was finally ready to give herself to him, would he like who she was? Would he still love her?

With a sigh, Penelope gathered her things up and finally left work for the day. She was so glad she had the weekend to recuperate.

XXXXX

Saturday afternoon rolled around and Penelope received a call from Will. One of his friends on the force in Louisiana had been shot, and the funeral was on Monday. He was taking Henry to New Orleans with him, and he didn't want JJ to be alone, so he'd asked Penelope if she'd mind checking in on her. After having been alone with her thoughts for the last twenty four hours, Penelope was more than happy to.

So about an hour and a half later, she knocked on JJ's door and it opened after a few moments. "Hey," JJ said in surprise. Penelope rarely stopped by unannounced. "What are you doing here?"

"Will called," Penelope answered, pushing her way past her best friend. "He didn't want you to be alone."

JJ rolled her eyes. "I'm a big girl," she muttered.

"Yes, but do you really want to be alone right now?" Penelope asked. "Because I sure as hell don't. And I'd prefer it if you weren't, either."

JJ smiled sadly as she walked over to her friend and enveloped her in a hug, causing Penelope to drop the overnight bag and the grocery sac she'd been holding. "You OK?" she asked.

"No," Penelope snapped, lifting her arms to return the hug. "My best friend was taken hostage earlier this week, and my…Derek left me," she said angrily.

JJ pulled away and lifted a hand, poking the flesh on Penelope's cheek with her index finger.

"Jayje, what the hell are you doing?" Penelope asked.

JJ grinned. "I'm trying to see if I can break through your tough exterior," she teased, taking another step back. She nodded to the grocery bag on the floor. "What's in there?" she asked.

"Ice cream for _me_," Penelope answered. "And pretzels for _you_." If there was anything she knew about her friend, it was what a healthy eater she was.

But JJ wrinkled her nose. "I was taken hostage and you bring me _pretzels_?" she asked in disbelief.

With a grin, Penelope bent over to pick up the sac and pulled out the package of pretzels, her eyes lighting up. "They're chocolate covered," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Penelope Garcia, I love you," JJ said sincerely.

XXXXX

"Why did we watch this movie again?" Penelope asked as she hiccupped on a sob.

"Because Madison County was _beautiful_," JJ said through her own tears.

"He loved her _so _much," Penelope said. "And the only knew each other for _four_ days!"

"Love really has no concept of time," JJ agreed.

Penelope took a deep breath to try and regain her composure, reminding herself that The Bridges of Madison County was _just_ a movie. "Have I told you lately how much I _hate_ Quantico?" she asked, changing the subject. "I miss Boston."

"Amen," JJ agreed.

"I mean…seriously! Let's take stock of what's happened since we've moved here," Penelope suggested.

JJ sighed. "Well, I've killed someone _and_ been taken hostage," she reminded her friend.

"I've had my second longest relationship ever _and_ gotten dumped," Penelope said.

"I win!" JJ said with strained enthusiasm. "But…the thing is…I _don't_ hate it here. I…I certainly didn't _enjoy_ being taken hostage and I didn't _like_ killing that man, but the job itself…getting to really go out there and make sure the bad guys get locked up…it's what I've _always_ wanted to do. I get to go to work every day and…make the world a better place. Even if I just go on television and give a description of the guy, I'm _part_ of it."

"It _is_ nice when another one gets put away," Penelope conceded.

JJ smiled sadly at her friend. "But I have a feeling the _job_…isn't what has you up in arms," she said softly.

"Not really," Penelope admitted. "When Derek and I first started…_banging_," she said with a wince, "we both agreed that we wanted the same thing; a one night stand. Or…you know…a six night stand as it ended up being." She took a deep breath. "But then we met at Quantico and he wanted to start dating. I was so _angry_ at him for lying to me, because I was finally able to go out and just go after what I wanted. But he…he never lied to me, Jayje. He just changed what he wanted. And I was so busy being angry at him for lying to me that I couldn't even see what was right in front of my face. And then Derek, doing what I imagine he's _always _done, came after what he wanted."

JJ nodded slowly.

"And he wanted _me,_" Penelope whispered "And what did _I_ do? The _same_ thing I always do. I drove him away."

"But Pen…he…he didn't go far," she reminded her friend. "And…he left Clooney. So he's…waiting."

Penelope laughed nervously. "For _what_?"

"Well, he…he's waiting for you to realize that you love him. _He_ already knows you do, but he needs for you to realize it."

If JJ's prediction was true, then Derek already knew her better than she thought he did.


	19. Chapter 18

_Thank you for the reviews for last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one! - Angie_

_He could have been at Emily's_, Penelope reminded herself as she stepped off the elevator Monday morning. She walked into the bullpen with a sigh. The floor was silent except for the sound of her breathing. This was new for Penelope; she'd never been the first one here. But she was so desperate to see Derek that she hadn't even stopped off for her morning dose of coffee.

She'd left JJ's fairly early yesterday morning to go straight home. Once there, she'd showered, taking the time to shave her legs and tame her hair. She chose an outfit she _knew_ that Derek would like, but it had been in vain. When she'd arrived at his house, he hadn't been there. She'd tried his cell a few times, but there was no answer. Certain he was avoiding her, she went to his house again just after dark, but there were no lights on and his vehicle was still nowhere to be found.

She'd gone home disappointed, but the bright side was that _now_ it was Monday morning, and Derek wouldn't miss work just to avoid her. All she had to do was wait for him to get there.

XXXXX

_That _was easier said than done. It was nine thirty and still…_no_ Derek. So she marched to her friends' office and closed the door behind her. "He's still not here," she said miserably.

JJ tilted her head to the side. "Have you talked to Prentiss?" she asked softly.

Penelope shook her head back and forth, her blonde curls bobbing with the action. "No," she said, wrinkling her nose. "She doesn't like me."

"_You_ don't like her," JJ reminded her friend.

"She didn't like me first," Penelope shot back.

"Pen, six weeks and we still haven't moved on from this? Really?" JJ asked in mock disbelief. She was very well informed of where Penelope was on the Emily Prentiss issue, and she couldn't help but wonder if there was a tad bit of jealousy involved.

Penelope sighed. "Jayje—"

"If you want to find Derek, she's your best hope," JJ reminded her. "She's your _only_ hope."

Penelope sighed, knowing her friend was right. It wasn't that she didn't _like_ the other woman; it was just that she still didn't really know her. She felt like she was constantly being sized up, and there was _nothing_ like being sized up by someone who never had a hair out of place and a body that was runway ready. But JJ was right. If there was anyone who knew where Derek was, it was Emily Prentiss. So without a word, she walked out of her friends' office and out into the bullpen.

She came to a stop beside Prentiss' desk and cleared her throat.

Prentiss looked up. "Can I help you?" she asked. Her tone wasn't as unkind as it had been in the past, but Penelope certainly wouldn't call it friendly.

"Do you know where Derek is?" she asked softly.

Prentiss studied her face for a minute…the constant 'sizing up' that Penelope had been thinking about earlier. "Yep," she said, her eyes returning to the paperwork on her desk.

Penelope waited, but she didn't say anything else. So she cleared her throat again. "Is he coming in today?" she asked.

Prentiss sat back in her chair and took a deep breath. "Does this have to do with work?" she asked.

Penelope shook her head. "No, I just…I need to see him," she answered.

Prentiss laughed. "What…you didn't say enough the other night when you broke up with him?"

Penelope blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?" she said, trying to keep herself calm.

"Yeah, he told me he moved out," Prentiss said.

"OK, you know what?" Penelope said. "First of all, stop judging me. You _barely_ know me. And second of all, _I _didn't break up with Derek. He took his things and he _left_."

"What?" Prentiss asked. Now it was _her_ turn to be shocked.

"I…" Penelope sighed. She knew how she felt now; she might as well practice putting it into words. "I was trying to tell him that I was in love with him, and…well…suffice it to say I wasn't doing a very good job. He thought I was trying to express feelings of _gratitude_."

"Are you sure you weren't?" Prentiss asked.

"Positive," Penelope answered.

Prentiss took a deep breath. "Derek went to Chicago. He always goes there when he needs to unwind."

"He…how long is he gone for?" Penelope asked.

"His flight comes in Wednesday night."

"Oh," Penelope said. "Look, Prentiss, I know that we're not…" She laughed humorlessly. "The _best_ of friends, but…will you help me with something?"

"Is it going to make Derek happy?" Prentiss asked.

Penelope bit her lower lip. "I hope so," she said softly.

Prentiss nodded. "I'm in."

Penelope grinned. It wasn't a reconciliation, but it _was_ a start.

XXXXX

"You just moved yourself right in with her?" Fran asked in disbelief. "Derek Morgan, I thought I taught you better than that!"

"Well I fixed her leaky faucet and painted her porch!" he said, defending himself.

"I can't believe you did that," his mother continued. "Have you no shame?"

"Well I _did_ ask her," he informed his mother with a shrug. "She just…said no."

Fran's eyes widened. "I raised a heathen," she said.

Derek laughed. "You didn't raise a heathen, Momma," he argued, smirking at her. "You raised a 'go-get-her.' I saw what I wanted, and I went to 'get her.'"

Fran rolled her eyes. "Derek—"

He shrugged. "It just didn't work out. It's not a big deal, Momma." Derek _hated_ it when his mother worried.

"Of course it's a big deal!" she argued. "You've only ever lived with one other woman, and that was for three weeks. This 'non-relationship' was longer than your longest relationship!"

Derek didn't say anything for a moment.

"So…where do things stand now?" she asked.

He sighed. "I'm not sure. I…I made some decisions that weren't in the best interest of my team. Ever since I met her, I can't think clearly and…being near her all the time, but not knowing if she's _mine_…it was too much. And when her friend was taken hostage and the team saved her…" There was no need to make his mother fret anymore than she already did, so Derek figured disguising the facts wouldn't hurt just this once. "I think she was overcome with thankfulness. She thought she wanted me, but she just…" Derek's voice trailed off.

'Honey," his mother said softly. "How do you know she didn't take stock?"

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.

"How do you know that seeing her friend in those circumstances didn't put things into perspective for her?"

"I…" Derek sighed. "Well I guess I don't," he conceded.

XXXXX

Something was wrong. Derek knew it the second he drove up to the house. There was a soft glow in the living room, as if there was a lamp on. But Derek didn't _own_ any lamps…not a single one in the house. He had the basics: a couch and a chair in the living room along with a kick ass entertainment system and a few stands, a table in the kitchen, and a bed and dressers in his bedroom. The house was pretty much bare other than those things. He turned his headlights off and brought his truck to a stop at the end of the drive, getting out of the SUV and shutting the door just enough to turn the dome light off. He didn't want to make any noise.

Drawing his gun, he made his way to the house, staying in the shadows all the while. When he heard Clooney bark, he sighed in relief and put his gun back in its holster. And that was when he realized that he'd almost done it again. He'd assumed the worst—that someone was in his house, and instead of doing the smart thing and calling for assistance, he'd headed in alone, guns practically blazing. "Dammitt," he said angrily. He needed to get this thing with Penelope resolved—the sooner she came to her senses, the better.

He headed for the front entrance and put his key in the lock, pushing the door open. Clooney ran up to him and Derek bent down to pet him. "Hey, boy," he said. "I missed you." Penelope must have wanted to get rid of Clooney and given him to Prentiss—she was the only who had a key to his house.

As Derek stood, his eyes fell on the stand in front of the window. On top of it was the gaudiest looking purple lamp he'd ever seen, clear crystals of all shapes and sizes hanging from the shade. He'd _seen_ that lamp before…beside Penelope's bed. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye, and his gaze flew to the figure standing behind the couch.

"Hi," Penelope said with a small wave.

"Penelope." Derek's heart skipped a beat. "What are you doing here?" he asked his voice thick with emotion.

"I…" She laughed nervously. "I'm moving in."


	20. Chapter 19

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one just as much. - Angie_

Derek stood there for a moment looking at her. There was a soft glow coming from behind her and she looked like an angel standing there. Her head was tilted to the side, the fingers of her left hand playing with a stray lock of hair resting on her shoulder. She looked as if she was playing coy with him; she was temptation personified in the middle of his living room.

And as he stood there gazing at her face, he realized it was the first time she'd ever appeared _vulnerable _before him_. _He lifted his lips in a slow grin. "You're moving in?" he asked softly.

Penelope nodded timidly. "If that's OK…" she said quietly, her voice trailing off.

Derek cleared his throat. "You…aren't aware of the rules of squatting," he informed her, his voice still low, almost like a caress.

She gave him a puzzled look.

His grin widened. "You need to _demand_ possession of the place," he explained. "Don't ask for it. _Take _it_._"

She smirked at him. "Is _that_ what I need to do?" she asked, her voice gaining confidence.

He nodded. "Absolutely."

"Well, in that case…I'm moving in, dammitt!" she informed him determinedly.

Derek laughed as he headed slowly towards her. "It's about damn time, Woman," he said huskily, reaching for her hand as she walked out from behind the couch. He grasped it tightly as he linked his fingers through hers.

"I'm sorry," she said with a wince.

Derek laughed as he pulled her against him. "For _what_? For waiting until you were ready?" he asked. "_I'm _the one who's sorry, Penelope. I forced myself on you and…"

It was Penelope's turn to laugh. "That was the problem. You _never_ had to force yourself on me. I just…couldn't stop myself from giving _in_ to you and it scared the hell out of me."

"You're not scared now?" he asked.

"I'm terrified," she admitted.

"Oh, Baby Girl," he said softly, dropping her hand so he could loop his arms around her waist and pull her closer. "What are you terrified of?"

"Well, at first I was afraid you were avoiding me," she said quietly. "You weren't answering your cell phone. But then I got here and I heard this incessant beeping and it was on the kitchen counter. _That_ made me feel a little hopeful."

"The only ones who ever call my personal cell are my family, and since I was with _them_…" He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "What _else_ are you afraid of?" he asked tenderly.

She laughed uneasily, tracing the logo on his t-shirt in order to avoid his gaze. "That you won't be able to wait for me," she told him. "I'm not ready for the things I know you want. I'm not _ready_ to get married, and I'm _not_ ready to have kids and…"

He put his fingertips underneath her chin and lifted her face to his, but she still wouldn't look at him. "Penelope, look at me," he insisted softly. She finally met his gaze and he smiled down at her. "I never needed you to tell me that you were ready to get married. Only that you're ready to take the next step. And now that I know you're willing to live together—"

"We _have _been living together," she interrupted him.

"No, Penelope," Derek said as he shook his head. "_I've_ been living with _you_. You've been _avoiding_ me."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "Just…be _with_ me."

"I can do that." She lifted her arms up around his neck and hugged him tightly, pulling his forehead down to hers. "And Derek…I love you."

"I…I wanted to say it first, But I couldn't do it," he admitted.

Her eyes filled with tears and she pulled away so she could look him in the eyes. "Why would you? I did everything short of changing the locks and having you arrested to prove that I didn't have feelings for you. Derek, I don't care that you didn't say it first. I'd just like to hear it," she said, her voice breaking.

"I love you," he said without hesitation, then lowered his head to give her a sound kiss. "And I am _so_ glad that you decided to wear _that_," he said, referring to the sexy piece of lingerie he'd bought her. It had taken most of his concentration to stay focused on her words and not her attire.

She giggled as his lips found her neck. "It was the easiest to remove," she told him.

"I'm _so_ glad you thought this out," he said appreciatively.

She stepped back and loosened the belt on the short, lilac colored robe. It slid to the floor, revealing the matching babydoll she was wearing beneath. The top was padded in order to give her chest some lift, and it flowed out from below her breasts to stop just below her hips.

Derek groaned as he pulled the leather jacket he was wearing down off shoulders and tossed it to the side. "Tell me you're not wearing any panties," he said.

Penelope gave him a sexy grin and lifted her eyebrows at him. "A girl _never_ goes panty-less and tells," she teased.

Derek shrugged with false indifference. "Fine, don't tell me." He stepped forward abruptly and grabbed the V of her nighty. One quick pull and he'd torn the thing apart, revealing her naked body beneath as it fell to the floor.

Penelope gasped. "You ripped my nighty!" she said accusingly.

Another shrug. "I bought it for me anyway."

"You said it was a gift for _me_," she reminded him.

"Yeah, I say a _lot_ of things…" he said, his voice trailing off as his hands reached for her waist to pull her against him. He lowered his mouth to hers; his tongue swept inside to taste her. His kiss was forceful, plundering. It was as if he hadn't kissed her in months instead of weeks. He tightened his grip again and she could feel his arousal against her bare belly.

"Derek," she said, as she pulled away.

"What?" he asked moving his lips to her neck.

"You're still dressed," she reminded him.

"I can remedy that," he said, stepping back.

Penelope shook her head, and moved forward. "Let me," she said softly.

With a grin, Derek lifted his arms up; Penelope reached for the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. He stepped out of his sneakers as she reached for the button on his jeans; she pushed them down over his legs and then knelt before him. With a soft tug, she pulled his boxer briefs down to join the denim at his ankles. His erection was level with her face, and with a saucy grin, she looked up at him. She leaned forward to run her tongue over the tip of his length and he groaned. She laughed softly, and then took him in her mouth, her tongue swirling around him. Lifting her hand, she wrapped her thumb and index finger around his base, squeezing lightly as her mouth moved up and down his length.

"Penelope," he said urgently.

She took that as a good sign and kept going until she heard him hiss.

"Penelope, _no_," he said vehemently.

She pulled her mouth away and looked up questioningly. "But you've always liked this," she reminded him.

"And today is no exception," he said, his eyes following her as she stood. "But you just told me you love me. So the next time I come, it's going to be _inside_ of you." He reached for her, but she stepped just out of his grip.

"Then I'll see you in the bedroom," she said throatily as she bolted for the stairs.

Derek started after her. "Fuck," he said, struggling to catch his balance. He'd forgotten about the pants around his ankles.

XXXXX

By the time he reached the bedroom, Penelope was kneeling on the bed near the edge of the mattress. He strode purposefully forward, his mouth swooping down to capture hers once again. There was something about the taste of him on her lips that drove him wild. He moved his mouth to her neck, showering it with hot, wet kisses.

"Ooooohhh, Derek," Penelope said breathlessly. "There are times when a girl wants foreplay, and there are times when she just wants to get fucked. Guess which time this is?"

She felt him chuckle against her throat before he pulled away. "Hush, baby girl," he said, thrilled that she remembered their first encounter as well as he did. He still remembered every second of their original six days together; he suspected he always would. "There are times when a man just wants to do it _his_ way," he said softly.

Penelope grinned. "Are you saying I don't count?" she teased.

"Oh, no," Derek said huskily. "_You_ count. If you weren't here, I couldn't do this…" He used the tip of his tongue to trace a line down to her breast, his mouth closing over her nipple "Or _this_…" he said, dragging his tongue roughly across the same hardened peak, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from her.

"Oh, Derek," she said again, falling back against the mattress. He laughed as he fell with her, and then lifted his head to look at her. "I'm _never_ gonna be able to say no to you," he said.

"What do you—oooohhh," she said as he filled her. "_That's_ what you meant."

He started with slow strokes, reveling in her heat as she surrounded him. But as was the case when he was with her, his body took over; his tempo increasing until he was pounding in and out of her.

She spread her legs further apart for him, and with a groan, he deepened his thrusts.

"Oh, God," Penelope said as she lifted her hips again. "Derek, I—"

She never finished her sentence; she didn't have to. The cry that tore from her lips told him all he needed to know. He felt her body stiffen and clench around his length. The sensation pushed him over the edge, bringing him to his own release. His sweat slicked body crumpled on top of hers, and he sighed in satisfaction as he came inside of her.

"God, Penelope," he said, rolling off of her and onto his side. He pulled her with him, so they lay there face to face. "Did you feel how different that was?" he asked.

She nodded, her entire body emanating contentment. "It's amazing what three little words can do," she agreed.

He pushed his knee forward so his one of his legs was resting between hers. He could feel her heat on his skin and knew it was only a matter of time before he was hard again. "I _do_ love you, Penelope Garcia," he said earnestly.

"So convenient for me since I love you, too, Derek Morgan" she replied teasingly.

He chuckled as he leaned forward, tickling her neck with his nose. "I'll never get tired of saying it," he promised.

"And I'll never get tired of hearing it."

***THE END***


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